In this week’s episode, I sat down with Lorena Bernal — author, speaker, and the founder of LiveLoveBetter — and within the first few minutes she said something that stopped me in my tracks. When I asked her who she really is, beneath the career and the roles and the accolades, she didn’t hesitate:

“A soul with a little girl kind of vibe. Very happy and grateful to be living a human experience on earth.”

That answer struck a chord.

The storm in your head

Lorena’s take on burnout cuts through the noise. It’s not simply about working too hard — it’s about living too far from the present moment. She describes it as getting lost in a storm of worries, future plans, and the nagging fear of not doing enough.

“If you go back to the present and do what you’re doing at this moment, suddenly it loosens that weight you have.”

It sounds almost too simple. But the more I think about it, the more I believe simplicity is the point. We’ve overcomplicated rest, wellness, even parenting — turning each of them into another performance to optimise.

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Achievement without foundation

One of the most honest moments in our conversation came when Lorena described being at the peak of her Hollywood career and experiencing a profound loss at the same time. No amount of professional success could touch the emptiness she felt.

“I feel so empty and it’s going so well. What I thought would give me what I wanted in life is not even close to fulfilling the emptiness I feel inside.”

That’s a hard thing to admit. Harder still to use it as a turning point. But she did. And I think a lot of high performers will recognise that feeling — the gnawing sense that something vital is missing even when everything looks perfect on paper.

The one thing worth doing

When I asked Lorena for a single daily practice that’s genuinely shifted her mental health, she didn’t sell me a morning routine or a supplement stack. She said: stop, breathe, and feel grateful — not as a concept, but as a felt experience in your body.

“Thank you for my heart beating. Thank you for my breathing. Just that, a few seconds, regulates your whole nervous system.”

There’s something quietly radical about that. In a world that’s monetised mindfulness and turned self-care into a productivity tool, she’s pointing back to something far older and simpler.

Lorena’s book It Starts With You is a good place to begin if any of this resonated. You can also find her at livelovebetter.co.uk.

Now press play. The full conversation is worth your time.

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I’ve spent the last few days helping my mother with her garden in London.

Nothing dramatic.

Trimming bushes.
Cleaning up the space.
Pulling weeds.
Moving slowly in the sun without really thinking about time.

I live in New York, so I don’t have a garden or large outdoor space of my own. Maybe that’s part of why it’s felt so meaningful.

What struck me most was how calming it felt to do something simple with my hands without constantly being interrupted by a screen, notification, or urge to check my phone.

For a few hours, I was completely present.

And honestly, it reminded me a lot of the silent retreat I attended at Zen Mountain Monastery.

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Not because gardening and silent retreats are the same thing — but because both force you back into direct experience.

You stop consuming for a moment.

You start noticing things again:

• birds

• wind

• sunlight

• textures

• silence

• your own thoughts

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There’s something deeply grounding about caring for a physical space slowly and attentively.

No optimization.
No productivity hack.
No “life-changing morning routine.”

Just being there.

I think modern life quietly convinces us that fulfillment has to be expensive, impressive, or highly stimulating.

But some of the most fulfilling moments are surprisingly simple:

• gardening

• walking

• reading outside

• cooking slowly

• talking to someone without rushing

• sitting in silence

As the old saying goes, the best things in life are free.

Or at the very least, very simple.

And maybe that’s part of why they matter so much.

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Listen to the latest podcast:

Read a recent issue:

We talked a lot about the gut — not just digestion, but the growing understanding that gut health may influence mood, energy, intuition, and overall wellbeing more than we realize.

I’ve noticed this in my own life too.

Usually when I feel anxious, foggy, exhausted, or just “off,” my body has been trying to tell me something long before my brain catches up.

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I’ve been paying more attention to gut health recently, and one brand I’ve liked is Just Thrive. Their probiotics are designed to survive digestion and actually reach the gut effectively — which is a surprisingly important detail.

🧠 The Gut Does More Than Digest Food

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was discussing how disconnected many of us have become from our bodies.

Modern life teaches us to override signals constantly:

• push through exhaustion

• scroll instead of resting

• ignore stress

• numb discomfort

But the body keeps communicating anyway.

And increasingly, research around the gut-brain connection suggests the gut may play a much bigger role in mental and emotional wellbeing than we once thought.

Lately I’ve become more aware of how differently I feel depending on:

• what I eat

• sleep

• stress

• sunlight

• time in nature

You can feel the difference.

Sometimes wellness starts with paying attention again.

Not obsessing.
Not optimizing everything.

Just noticing what actually makes you feel good.

The full podcast with Remnant MD is above if you’d like to listen.

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Further Reading:

The energy in New York completely changed last weekend.

I was in Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park with my son, and it felt like the city had finally exhaled.

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Memorial Day Sale ends soon

Thousands of people stretched across the grass.
Music playing.
Frisbees flying.
Dogs running everywhere.
Strangers actually talking to each other.

After months of winter coats, grey skies, and everyone rushing from one place to another…people suddenly seemed lighter.

I ended up throwing a frisbee with strangers, kicking a soccer ball around with my son, and spending most of the day outside without really checking my phone.

And honestly, it reminded me how different life feels when we spend more time outdoors, around people, and connected to something real.

Not optimized.
Not productive.
Just… alive.

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☀️ Summer Changes More Than Your Mood

Winter can quietly turn life into maintenance mode.

Wake up.
Work.
Commute.
Repeat.

Then one warm weekend arrives and suddenly:

• people linger outside longer

• conversations happen more easily

• kids play everywhere

• the city feels human again

It also reminded me of something I wrote in a previous issue:

“It’s harder to stay stuck in repetitive mental loops when you’re physically outside your normal environment.”

And I really felt that this weekend.

Something shifts when you spend hours outdoors instead of under artificial light… when you move your body without tracking it… when you talk to strangers instead of staring at a screen.

Your mind loosens a little.

You remember life is happening right now.

There’s obviously science behind this too. Sunlight, movement, social connection, and time outdoors all affect mood, stress, sleep, and energy levels.

But beyond the science, I think most of us can simply feel it.

Listen to our podcast

Sometimes wellness isn’t another protocol.

Sometimes it’s:

• sunlight on your skin

• being outside longer than you planned

• laughing with people you don’t know

• hearing music drift across a park

• losing track of time for a few hours

That’s health too.

A few reminders for this summer:

• Spend more time outside than you think you need to

• Move your body for fun, not just fitness

• Say yes to spontaneous plans

• Let yourself be less reachable sometimes

• Don’t underestimate how healing community can feel

We forget this every winter.

And then summer comes back to remind us.

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Further Reading:

A line from a recent podcast conversation has stayed with me all week:

“All words are magic spells. Be very conscious of how you use them to describe yourself.”

I recently sat down with artist Adam Henry to talk about burnout, creativity, meditation, and self-talk.

And what struck me most was this:

A lot of us are exhausted not just because of what we’re doing — but because of the way we speak to ourselves while we do it.

I should be doing more.
I’m behind.
I haven’t done enough.

That kind of thinking quietly shapes how we experience life.

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Burnout Isn’t Always About Work

Adam described burnout not as overwork, but as becoming exhausted by the story he was telling himself.

That felt very real to me.

At one point he said:

“The best performers aren’t always ‘on.’ They’re just better at turning it on and off.”

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Toward the end of the conversation, I asked him what he would tell his younger self.

His answer:

“Believe in yourself and quiet all the chatter.”

Honestly, I think a lot of us need that reminder right now.

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Further Reading:

🍫 Healthy Candy? These Dates Come Close

A simple, naturally sweet snack that hits like dessert — without the crash.

Ingredients:

• 4–6 Medjool dates (pitted)

• 2–3 tsp peanut or almond butter

• 1–2 squares dark chocolate

• Pinch of sea salt

• Optional: chopped nuts, coconut flakes

Instructions:

1. Slice each date open and remove the pit.

2. Fill with nut butter.

3. Melt the dark chocolate.

4. Drizzle or dip the dates in chocolate.

5. Sprinkle with sea salt (and any extras).

6. Chill for 10–15 minutes until set.

Why it works:
Naturally sweet, satisfying, and paired with fat to slow the sugar hit. It feels indulgent — but won’t leave you crashing after.

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Further Reading:

Lately, my mornings have looked a little different.

I’ve been traveling, switching time zones, waking up calm but slightly groggy — not quite in rhythm yet.

But one thing I’ve been more intentional about is how I start the day.

No phone in the first hour.
A large glass of water with electrolytes.
A few simple mantras before anything else begins.

Nothing dramatic. Just a slower entry.

And I’ve noticed something.

When I rush it — when I check my phone too early or skip that bit of space — the whole day feels slightly off. More reactive. Less steady.

The same goes for coffee.

I quit it a couple of years ago after realizing I wasn’t really using it — I was depending on it to get through the day. It made me anxious, jittery, and eventually led to a crash.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with it again, but differently.

Slower. More intentional. Usually after food, not on an empty stomach. Adding L-theanine to the mix for steadier energy.

And being more selective with the coffee itself.

I’ve been using Purity Coffee - mainly because it feels noticeably cleaner for me. Less jittery, no harsh edge, just a more stable lift. Whether that’s down to how it’s sourced or processed, I don’t know exactly - but I notice the difference.

Less about pushing energy up - more about supporting it.

That shift has made me think about mornings in a different way.

Not as something to optimize.

But as something to protect.

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🧠 Why Most Mornings Work Against You

A lot of advice around mornings sounds good in theory.

Wake up early.
Cold shower.
Meditate.
Workout.
Journal.

Stack enough habits together and it starts to feel like a performance before your day has even begun.

And for a while, that kind of routine can work.

But it can also quietly add pressure.

Another thing to get right.
Another way to feel behind if you don’t.

What I’ve found works better is something simpler.

Not a perfect routine — just a start that doesn’t work against you. Stripping things away until I have a simple list of morning essentials I can actually get done.

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☕ A More Intentional Way to Use Coffee

In a recent conversation with mental health performance coach , we ended up talking about something surprisingly simple: coffee.

Not in a “should you drink it or not” way.

But in how people use it.

Most of us don’t drink coffee to support our energy.

We drink it to override how we feel.

Low energy → coffee
Stress → coffee
Poor sleep → more coffee

And it works. Temporarily.

But it often creates a cycle of spikes and crashes that your system has to keep recovering from.

That’s where the conversation shifted.

Instead of using caffeine to push harder, what would it look like to use it more intentionally?

Listen to the full conversation:

One idea that came up was a simple variation on coffee that supports more stable energy. It’s something I’ve used in the past and am dipping my toes back into as it were.

A “bulletproof-style” approach — adding healthy fats to slow the release of caffeine and reduce the sharp spike.

It’s not about hacking your coffee.

It’s about changing what it does.

Less spike.
More stability.

That idea stuck with me.

Because it reflects a broader shift:

Moving from stimulation → to support.

If coffee is part of your routine, it’s worth being a little more intentional about both the quality and how you use it.

☕️ Get my recipe on Instagram. ☕️

🌤️ What Actually Helps in the Morning

The more I’ve simplified things, the more I’ve noticed a few patterns.

Not rules. Just things that seem to help.

Light early in the day.
A moment before checking your phone.
Something warm — coffee or tea — without rushing it.
A slower entry into the day.

None of these are dramatic.

But together, they shift how the morning feels.

And that feeling carries further than you think.

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Further Reading:

🍫 High-Protein Chocolate Yogurt Bowl

A simple, high-protein bowl that feels more like dessert than breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt (or dairy-free alternative)

• 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder

• ½ cup frozen berries

• 1–2 squares dark chocolate

• 1 tsp coconut oil (optional, for the shell)

• Optional toppings: granola, nuts, cacao nibs, nut butter

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt and protein powder until smooth and thick.

2. Add frozen berries on top.

3. Melt the dark chocolate (with coconut oil if using).

4. Pour the melted chocolate over the bowl — it will harden into a shell.

5. Add any extra toppings and let it sit for a minute before cracking into it.

Why it works:
High protein, naturally sweet, and more satisfying than most “healthy” snacks. Keeps you full and actually feels like a treat.

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Further Reading:

You already know what to do.

Eat better.

Sleep more.

Stop overthinking.

Set boundaries.

You’ve read it. Heard it. Probably even done it… for a while.

And yet—

You find yourself back in the same place.

Same habits.

Same reactions.

Same patterns.

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🧠 The Frustrating Part

It doesn’t make sense.

Because this isn’t a lack of information.

If anything, you have too much of it.

You know the right foods.

The right routines.

The right mindset shifts.

So why doesn’t it stick?

⸻

🧩 The Missing Piece

Most change doesn’t fail at the level of knowledge.

It fails at the level of pattern.

Patterns are deeper than logic.

They’re:

• Emotional

• Automatic

• Familiar

Which means they don’t respond well to:

👉 More information

👉 More discipline

👉 More “trying harder”

⸻

🔄 What a Pattern Actually Is

A pattern is something your system has learned feels safe.

Even if it’s not helpful.

Even if it’s frustrating.

Even if it keeps you stuck.

That’s why you can:

• Know what to eat… and still not eat it

• Know you need rest… and still push through

• Know something isn’t working… and still repeat it

Because the pattern isn’t logical.

It’s learned.

⸻

⚡ Why You Keep Going Back

Real change requires something most people skip:

👉 Awareness in the moment

Not after. Not in hindsight.

But while it’s happening.

That moment where you’re about to:

• Reach for something you don’t actually want

• Say yes when you mean no

• Default to the same reaction

That’s the moment patterns live in.

And it’s also where they can start to shift.

⸻

🧠 But Here’s the Catch

You can’t always see your own patterns clearly.

Not because you’re not self-aware.

But because you’re inside them.

It’s like trying to read the label from inside the bottle.

You get close.

But not quite all the way.

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⸻

🛠️ What Actually Helps

Change doesn’t come from knowing more.

It comes from:

• Slowing things down

• Noticing what’s happening

• Understanding why it’s happening

• Interrupting it, gently

And doing that consistently.

Not perfectly.

Just consistently.

⸻

🔄 What Shifting a Pattern Feels Like

It’s not dramatic.

It’s not a full personality change overnight.

It’s smaller than that.

It’s:

• Pausing where you used to react

• Choosing differently, just once

• Noticing something you didn’t before

And then doing that again.

And again.

Until the old pattern stops feeling automatic.

⸻

🧾 5 Signs You’re Stuck in a Pattern (Not a Lack of Discipline)

• You keep “starting over” with the same habits

• You know what to do, but don’t follow through

• You feel frustrated with yourself regularly

• You fall into the same behaviors under stress

• You feel like you’re capable of more—but can’t access it consistently

⸻

🧠 Final Thought

If you keep ending up in the same place, it’s not because you’re failing.

It’s because something deeper is running the show.

And once you start working with that—

instead of fighting it—

things begin to change in a way that actually lasts.

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Further Reading:

For the launch episode of my podcast, I sat down with mental performance coach for a conversation about resilience, mindset, sleep, stress, and the daily habits that shape how we feel. We covered everything from redefining mental toughness and using cognitive reframing, to cold exposure, supplements, journaling, gratitude, and why physical health plays such a powerful role in mental wellbeing.

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Most of us were never really taught how to perform without burning out.

We were told to work harder.
To be more disciplined.
To keep going.

And for a while, it works.

Until it doesn’t.

At some point, working harder stops giving us better results and starts giving us burnout.

This week, I spoke with a mental health performance coach about what really sustains performance over time.

And it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

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🧠 What High Performers Get Right

The highest level of performance doesn’t come from working harder.

It comes from working within your limits.

From understanding that performance isn’t just about what you produce; it’s about the system that produces it.

And what is that system?

Your nervous system.

When your nervous system is working well, you can focus, you can think clearly, and you can perform well even when it gets tough.

When your nervous system is overworked – when it has too much going on and too little rest – your performance suffers even when you work harder.

It’s not about how much you work; it’s about how much you work within your nervous system’s ability to switch between high and low.

The highest level of performance doesn’t mean you’re “on” all the time; it means you’re “on” when you need to be and “off” when you don’t – except the people who are really good at it are better at turning it on and off than anyone else.

🔑 The Shift: From Intensity to Regulation

Most people think:

Performance = pushing harder

But, really, performance is more like:

• Knowing when to push

• Knowing when to recover

• Knowing how to shift between states

It’s not about being ‘on’ all the time.

It’s about being able to turn it on when you need to, and turn it off when you don’t.

That’s what performance is all about.

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🛠️ 3 Practical Shifts

Here are a few simple ideas that came out of this conversation:

1. Lower the baseline stress

Not everything has to be urgent.

When everything feels important, your system stays ‘on’ all the time.

That’s not sustainable.

2. Build in recovery time

Recovery time isn’t just time off.

It’s little moments throughout the day:

• stepping outside

• taking a few deep breaths

• pausing between tasks

Those moments are bigger than you think.

3. Regulate before you react

In stressful situations, most people tend to react immediately.

But, instead:

Pause.

Breathe.

Then, respond.

That little pause between those two actions is huge.

📈 Why This Matters Right Now

We’re living in a culture where:

• we’re constantly being inputted

• we have extremely high expectations

• we have virtually no time to recover

People aren’t underperforming because they’re not disciplined.

They’re underperforming because they’re overwhelmed.

And, no matter how hard you try, you cannot fix being overwhelmed.

✨ Final Thought

You don’t have to be more intense.

You have to be more regulated.

That’s what allows you to perform, not just today, but every day.

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Further Reading:

Let me offer a slightly uncomfortable idea:

You might not be tired.

You might just be under-fueled.

⸻

That mid-afternoon slump.

The brain fog.

The second (or third) coffee.

We tend to label it as stress, burnout, or “just one of those days.”

But for a lot of people—especially those trying to eat “healthy”—it’s something much simpler:

👉 You didn’t eat enough.

⸻

🧠 The Hidden Epidemic

Undereating doesn’t always look obvious.

It’s not just skipping meals or extreme dieting.

It often looks like:

• A light breakfast

• A “clean” but small lunch

• A couple of snacks

• Maybe a proper dinner

On paper, it seems fine.

But across the day?

You’re running a deficit your body can feel.

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⸻

⚡ What Undereating Actually Feels Like

Most people don’t recognize it, because the symptoms are subtle:

• Low, steady fatigue

• Difficulty focusing

• Irritability (especially late afternoon)

• Cravings for sugar or quick carbs

• Workouts that feel harder than they should

So what do we do?

We reach for caffeine.

⸻

☕ The Caffeine Cover-Up

Coffee and matcha are great.

But they can also mask a problem.

Instead of asking:

“Why am I tired?”

We assume:

“I just need more energy.”

So we stimulate instead of fuel.

And it works… temporarily.

Until it doesn’t.

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⸻

🥗 The Real Issue: Energy Availability

Your body runs on energy.

Not vibes. Not discipline. Not willpower.

When you don’t eat enough:

• Your body conserves energy

• Your brain slows things down

• Your performance drops

This isn’t a failure.

It’s your body doing exactly what it’s designed to do.

⸻

🍽️ Where It Usually Goes Wrong

For most people, it’s not dinner.

It’s earlier in the day.

1. Breakfast is too light (or skipped)

• Coffee + something small

• Or nothing at all

2. Lunch lacks substance

• Salad without protein

• Something quick but not filling

By the time afternoon hits?

You’re running on fumes.

⸻

🛠️ How to Fix It (Without Overthinking It)

You don’t need a full diet overhaul.

You need a few strategic upgrades.

1. Eat within 1–2 hours of waking

Even something simple:

• Eggs + toast

• Greek yogurt + fruit + nuts

2. Anchor meals around protein

Aim for:

👉 ~25–35g per meal

This is what actually creates satiety.

3. Stop fearing carbs at lunch

Carbs = energy.

Adding:

• Rice

• Potatoes

• Bread

…can be the difference between stable energy and a crash.

4. Eat enough to not need constant snacks

If you’re always grazing, your meals probably aren’t doing enough.

⸻

🔄 What Happens When You Get It Right

When you start eating enough, something shifts:

• Energy feels more stable

• Cravings decrease

• Focus improves

• You stop thinking about food all the time

Not because you’re trying harder.

Because your body finally has what it needs.

⸻

🧾 6 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough

• You feel tired most afternoons

• You rely heavily on caffeine

• You’re always thinking about your next meal

• You snack constantly but don’t feel satisfied

• Your workouts feel flat or harder than usual

• You wake up already hungry

⸻

🧠 Final Thought

Energy isn’t something you chase.

It’s something you eat for.

And once you start fueling properly, you realize:

You weren’t lacking discipline.

You were lacking fuel.

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Further Reading:

Snacking feels like the healthy option.

Small meals. Steady energy. Keep your metabolism going.

That’s what we’ve been told, anyway.

But for a lot of people, constant snacking is doing the opposite:

👉 More hunger

👉 Less energy

👉 More time thinking about food

⸻

🧠 The Problem With Grazing

On paper, it makes sense:

Eat a little, often → avoid big hunger swings.

But in reality, most snacks aren’t built to actually satisfy you.

They’re:

• Low in protein

• Easy to eat quickly

• Designed to be moreish

So instead of solving hunger…

They just keep it hovering in the background.

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⚡ Why You Never Feel Fully Energized

When you snack all day, your body never really settles.

You’re constantly:

• Digesting

• Releasing small bursts of energy

• Then dipping again

It’s like running your day on mini-charges instead of a full battery.

You’re never crashing hard…

But you’re never fully energized either.

⸻

🍫 The Snack Trap

A typical day can look like this:

• Coffee + something small in the morning

• A mid-morning snack

• A light lunch

• Something sweet in the afternoon

• A few bites here and there

By the end of the day, you’ve eaten plenty.

But somehow, it doesn’t feel like it.

Because nothing actually landed.

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🧠 The Real Issue

It’s not that you’re eating too often.

It’s that your meals aren’t doing enough.

When meals lack:

• Protein

• Calories

• Structure

…snacking becomes a necessity.

Not a choice.

⸻

🔄 The Reframe

It’s not about eating less.

It’s about eating enough, less often.

The goal isn’t to remove snacks completely.

It’s to make them optional, not essential.

⸻

🛠️ What to Do Instead

1. Build meals that actually satisfy

Each meal should include:

• A solid protein source

• Carbs for energy

• Fats for satiety

• Fiber for stability

If your meal is missing one of these, it won’t hold you.

2. Aim for 3 solid meals first

Before worrying about snacks, ask:

“Are my meals strong enough?”

For most people, fixing meals reduces snacking automatically.

3. Let yourself feel properly full

A lot of people stop eating at “lightly satisfied.”

But that often leads to:

👉 Hunger returning quickly

👉 More snacking later

There’s a difference between:

• Not hungry

• Actually satisfied

4. Use snacks strategically (not constantly)

Snacks can be useful when:

• You genuinely need something between meals

• You’ve had a long gap between eating

But they should support your meals—not replace them.

⸻

🔄 What Happens When You Shift This

When your meals improve, something subtle changes:

• You stop thinking about food all the time

• Your energy feels more stable

• Cravings decrease

• Eating feels simpler

Not more restrictive.

Just more settled.

⸻

🧾 7 Snacks That Keep You Hungry (and What to Eat Instead)

• Granola bars → Greek yogurt + fruit

• Crackers → Apple + peanut butter

• Smoothies (low protein) → Protein smoothie

• Rice cakes → Eggs on toast

• Trail mix (easy to overeat) → Cottage cheese + berries

• Pastries → Oats + protein

• “Healthy” snack packs → A proper meal

⸻

🧠 Final Thought

You don’t need more snacks.

You need better meals.

Because when your meals do their job, everything else—

your energy, your hunger, your focus—

gets a lot simpler.

Leave a comment

Further Reading:

One thing I’ve learned about wellness: when your gut health is off, a lot of other things tend to follow — digestion, skin, even energy levels.

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If you want to try Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic, you can get 25% off your first month with code JAMIE25:

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🌿 Starting Again, Gently

Let’s face it: winter lasts longer than we think.

Not just the weather outside our window, but our own energy, routines, and motivation.

You might feel a little slower. A little heavier. A little off.

And that’s not a failure. That’s a season.

Spring is not about becoming your best version of yourself right away.

It’s about starting anew. Again.

This issue is about little resets. Resets that don’t overwhelm you but gently bring you back to life.

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☀️ 🌤️ Why Spring Feels Like a Reset

There’s a reason why you feel different when the days get longer.

More sun means more serotonin production. It’s a chemical that helps boost your mood and energy level.

Your body also starts to shift into a different rhythm. It becomes more inclined to wake up and do something.

Your system is waking up. Literally.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t happen instantly.

You don’t go from zero to one hundred right away.

You take it slow. And that’s a good thing.

Let spring be a suggestion. Not a command.

🚶 Start Smaller Than You Think

The biggest mistake people make?

They try to do everything at once.

New routine. New diet. New schedule.

And then it falls apart after a week or two.

Try this instead:

• A 10-minute walk in the morning

• A single easy meal

• Going to bed 20 minutes earlier

That is all.

Momentum is not built by going big or going hard.

Momentum is built by being small and steady.

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🌿 What to Leave Behind This Season

Before you do anything new, ask yourself:

What am I willing to let go of?

• Bad habits

• Overcommitting

• Constant noise and input

Spring is not just a season of new things.

It is also a season of letting go to make room for something amazing to bloom.

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🧠 A Simple Spring Reset Exercise

Grab a piece of paper and write:

What would it mean for you to be 10% better right now?

Not 100% better. Not 50% better. 10% better.

And then choose something to support that.

That is it. That is the reset.

✨ Final Thought

You don’t need to change everything.

You just need to change a little.

To get back to you.

To get back to your energy.

To get back to the things that support you quietly in the background.

Spring is not in a hurry.

Neither should you be.

*Source: SPINS, combined Amazon + Target sales data, last 12 weeks ending in November 2025.

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Further Reading:

Most people don’t have a junk food problem.

They have a “healthy” food problem.

⸻

Somewhere along the way, we were taught that eating well means eating “clean.”

Salads. Smoothies. Low-calorie everything.

And on the surface, it looks like discipline.

But underneath?

A lot of people are tired, hungry, and constantly thinking about food.

⸻

🧠 The Problem With “Clean Eating”

“Clean” has become a stand-in for low calorie.

And low calorie often means:

• Not enough protein

• Not enough fats

• Not enough total food

Which leads to something most people don’t expect:

👉 You’re technically eating “healthy”… but your body feels worse.

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⚡ What Happens When You Undereat (Even on “Healthy” Food)

When your meals don’t give your body enough energy, a few things start to happen:

• You feel full… but not satisfied

• You get hungry again quickly

• You start craving sugar or snacks

• Your energy dips throughout the day

• You think about food more, not less

This is where a lot of people get stuck.

They think:

“I’m eating so well—why do I feel like this?”

Because your body doesn’t care how clean your food is.

It cares whether it’s getting what it needs.

⸻

🥗 The Salad Problem

A salad isn’t automatically a complete meal.

In fact, most aren’t.

A typical “healthy” salad might look like:

• Greens

• Some vegetables

• Maybe a light dressing

What’s missing?

👉 Protein

👉 Enough calories

👉 Staying power

So what happens?

You eat it… feel virtuous… and then you’re hungry again an hour later.

Not because you lack discipline.

Because the meal didn’t do its job.

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🔄 The Cycle No One Talks About

This is where things quietly spiral:

1. You eat “clean”

2. You undereat

3. You get hungry later

4. You snack or overeat

5. You feel like you “messed up”

6. You go back to eating even “cleaner”

And the cycle repeats.

It’s not a willpower issue.

It’s a fueling issue.

⸻

🧠 The Reframe

Health isn’t about purity.

It’s about adequacy and consistency.

A “healthy” meal should:

• Keep you full for a few hours

• Give you stable energy

• Reduce cravings—not increase them

Sometimes that means:

• Adding more protein

• Adding carbs back in

• Not being afraid of calories

⸻

🛠️ A Simple Fix

Instead of asking:

“Is this clean?”

Try asking:

“Will this actually keep me full and energized?”

A better plate looks like:

• A solid protein source

• Carbs for energy

• Fats for satiety

• Fiber for stability

Simple. Not extreme.

⸻

🧾 5 Signs Your “Healthy Diet” Isn’t Working

• You’re always hungry, even after meals

• You think about food all day

• Your energy crashes in the afternoon

• You rely on caffeine to function

• You snack constantly but never feel satisfied

If that’s you, it’s not that you’re doing too little.

You might be doing too much of the wrong thing.

⸻

🧠 Final Thought

The goal isn’t to eat “clean.”

The goal is to eat in a way your body doesn’t fight.

Because when you get that right, everything else—

your energy, your focus, even your cravings—

starts to take care of itself.

Further Reading:

Workout 1: Full Body Circuit

1. Bodyweight Squats - 15 reps

2. Push-ups - 12 reps

3. Mountain Climbers - 30 seconds

4. Plank - 30 seconds hold

5. Jumping Jacks - 30 seconds

6. Glute Bridges - 15 reps

Workout 2: Core Focus

1. Plank - 30 seconds hold

2. Russian Twists - 15 reps per side

3. Leg Raises - 12 reps

4. Bicycle Crunches - 15 reps per side

5. Side Plank - 20 seconds each side

6. Superman - 12 reps

Workout 3: Lower Body Emphasis

1. Lunges (alternating) - 10 reps per leg

2. Squat Pulses - 20 reps

3. Calf Raises - 15 reps

4. Side Leg Raises - 15 reps per side

5. Broad Jumps - 10 reps

6. Wall Sit - 30 seconds hold

Workout 4: Upper Body & Core

1. Push-ups - 12 reps

2. Tricep Dips (using a chair) - 10 reps

3. Inchworms - 8 reps

4. Plank to Push-up - 10 reps

5. High Plank Shoulder Taps - 10 reps per side

6. T-Plank Rotations - 8 reps per side

Workout 5: Cardio & Agility

1. Burpees - 10 reps

2. High Knees - 30 seconds

3. Butt Kickers - 30 seconds

4. Skaters - 20 reps alternating sides

5. Speed Squats - 20 reps

6. Shadow Boxing - 30 seconds

Want to go deeper?

If this resonated and you’d like more support, connection, and accountability, I’ve created a space for us to keep growing together.

Inside the Wellness Circle you’ll find:

• Monthly live wellness sessions

• A private accountability community

• Quarterly personalized wellness roadmaps

• Direct access to me for guidance and support

If you’re ready to take the next step:

Join the Wellness Circle →

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Further Reading:

Living an Examined Life by James Hollis is a guide to self-discovery and personal growth, urging readers to move beyond societal expectations and live with deeper meaning. Hollis, a Jungian analyst, challenges us to confront the unconscious forces that shape our lives and take responsibility for our own fulfillment.

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Book Summary

In Living an Examined Life, Hollis lays out 21 thought-provoking chapters, each offering a lesson on how to live with greater authenticity. He explores how childhood conditioning, fear, and societal pressures keep us stuck in patterns that no longer serve us. Instead of seeking approval or following a predefined path, Hollis encourages us to ask: What truly calls to me?

One of the book’s most profound insights is that personal growth requires discomfort. Facing our fears, embracing uncertainty, and taking ownership of our choices are essential steps toward a more meaningful life. Hollis argues that our greatest task is to become who we were meant to be—not who we were told to be.

Benefits to the Reader

This book is for anyone feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or searching for deeper purpose. Hollis offers wisdom on breaking free from self-limiting beliefs, navigating midlife transitions, and living with intention. His insights can help readers shift from passive existence to active engagement with their inner world.

Personal Reflection

Reading Living an Examined Life felt like having a deep, honest conversation with a wise mentor. Hollis doesn’t sugarcoat the journey—self-exploration is hard work—but his words resonated deeply. His emphasis on personal responsibility and the necessity of growth beyond our comfort zones has challenged me to ask bigger questions about my own path.

Conclusion

If you’re ready to dive into the deeper questions of life and step into your own power, Living an Examined Life is a must-read. Hollis offers a roadmap for breaking free from old patterns and embracing the courage it takes to live authentically.

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Further Reading:

You need fewer ingredients.

This is a reminder that good food can be simple, nourishing, and actually doable—no overwhelm, no long shopping lists.

Here are three recipes you can make today with just three ingredients each.

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🥑 Creamy Avocado Lime Dip

Ingredients:

• 200g ripe avocado

• 30g fresh lime juice

• 2g sea salt

Method:

Mash everything together until smooth and creamy.

Eat it with: toast, eggs, crackers—or straight from the bowl.

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🍌 Banana Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

• 240g ripe bananas (2 bananas)

• 100g rolled oats

• 1g cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F

2. Mash bananas

3. Stir in oats + cinnamon

4. Shape into cookies on a tray

5. Bake for 12–15 minutes

Note: Soft, naturally sweet, and surprisingly satisfying.

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🍫 Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters

Ingredients:

• 150g dark chocolate

• 100g almonds

• 2g flaky sea salt

Method:

1. Melt chocolate

2. Stir in almonds

3. Spoon onto parchment

4. Sprinkle salt

5. Chill until set

Keep in the fridge for an easy grab-and-go snack.

✍️ Final Thought

Simple food isn’t boring.

It’s just… clear.

Less noise.

More intention.

Better choices, repeated.

If you enjoyed this, I’ll keep this series going.

Reply and tell me: sweet or savory next time?

Save this for the next time you don’t know what to eat.

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Further Reading:

In many parts of Asia, black sesame is an essential dessert flavor. The nutty, mildly bittersweet seed appears in ice-cream parlors and doughnut shops alongside matcha and ube – offerings as standard as chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are stateside, says Sophie Hung, a California-based registered dietitian nutritionist who grew up in Hong Kong.

Now, black sesame’s popularity is growing in the US, with Yelp naming it a top food trend for 2026 based on user data (searches for “black sesame matcha” are up almost 150% since 2023). Yet, beyond its appealing flavor and striking color, what exactly are you getting nutritionally when you add black sesame to your diet?

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What is the nutritional profile of black sesame?

“I love sesame seeds because they pack a nice nutritional punch without a lot of volume,” says New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist Robin Foroutan.

Black sesame is “really high in specific minerals, like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium”, says Foroutan. “These are nutrients important for bone health specifically, but also for cardiovascular health and balanced blood pressure.”

A 2025 review analyzing data from 521 adults found that eating a tablespoon, or about 10 grams, of sesame products a day for eight weeks led to modest improvements in markers of heart and metabolic health, such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels, though the authors caution that these observed effects may not reliably “reflect true clinical benefits”, so, take them with a grain of salt.

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A serving of sesame is roughly one tablespoon of whole seeds, with dietitians recommending between one and three servings per day. The particular nutritional profiles of sesame products differ depending on whether you’re consuming whole seeds or denser sesame products such as ground sesame or blended tahini paste, which comes in black or white varieties. For instance, a tablespoon of tahini is about 90 calories, while a less dense spoonful of whole sesame seeds is about 60 calories. Black, brown, and white varieties of sesame have similar macronutritional profiles – low in protein and carbohydrates, high in unsaturated fat – though black sesame contains more minerals, antioxidants, and slightly more fiber than paler counterparts. If you’re eating sesame for its mineral content, be sure you’re buying the seeds with the calcium-rich hull on, rather than just the translucent inner kernel often seen atop burger buns.

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Further Reading:

One thing I’ve learned about wellness: when your gut health is off, a lot of other things tend to follow — digestion, skin, even energy levels.

That’s one reason I take Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic, the #1 Digestive Health Probiotic that is a clinically validated 2-in-1 probiotic and prebiotic with 24 strains that support your body in and beyond the gut.*

It’s become part of my daily guardrails.

If you want to try Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic, you can get 25% off your first month with code JAMIE25:

Get 25% off your first month

🌿 How to Calm Your Nervous System Naturally

Over the past few years, I’ve started to realize something about stress.

Most of us think of it as a mental problem.

But stress isn’t just happening in your mind. It’s happening in your nervous system.

When your nervous system is overloaded — too much stimulation, too many decisions, too little rest — everything starts to feel harder. Focus drops. Sleep suffers. Small things feel overwhelming.

And the frustrating part? You can’t solve nervous system stress with willpower.

You have to calm the system itself.

Most people think they’re tired.

Often, their nervous system is just overloaded.

This issue is about how to reset it.

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🧠 Understanding Your Nervous System: Stress vs Recovery

Your nervous system has two primary modes.

Sympathetic

Fight-or-flight. Alert. Mobilized.

Parasympathetic

Rest-and-digest. Calm. Recovering.

Neither one is bad. We need both.

But modern life often keeps us stuck in the first mode — constant notifications, busy schedules, endless stimulation.

Think of the nervous system like a gear shift.

Gear 1 — Sympathetic

Fast. Alert. Ready for action.

Gear 2 — Parasympathetic

Calm. Restoring. Recovering.

Many of us spend most of our day in Gear 1.

Wellness isn’t just about healthy habits.

It’s about helping the body remember how to shift gears again.

Practices like breathwork, walking, and time in nature are simple tools for nervous system regulation.

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🌬️ A 2-Minute Nervous System Reset

When your system feels overloaded, one of the fastest ways to calm it is your breath.

A technique called physiological sigh breathing, studied by Stanford researchers, helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce stress signals in the body.

Here’s how it works:

1. Inhale deeply through your nose

2. Take a second small inhale through the nose

3. Slowly exhale through your mouth

4. Repeat 5–10 times

Two minutes can shift your physiology.

It sounds simple — but nervous system regulation often is.

🚶 Why Walking Helps Regulate the Nervous System

If I had to choose one habit that consistently helps regulate stress, it would be this:

Walking.

Not intense exercise. Just walking.

Research shows walking can:

• lower cortisol

• improve mood

• support cognitive function

• regulate the nervous system

Especially when done outdoors.

It’s one of the simplest ways to help the body process stress instead of storing it.

Think of it less as exercise and more as system maintenance.

📈 Why Nervous System Regulation Is Trending

If you’ve noticed more people talking about nervous system health lately, you’re not imagining it.

The wellness conversation is shifting.

For years the focus was optimization — cold plunges, biohacking, extreme routines.

Now the focus is moving toward regulation.

Practices like breathwork, slow movement, nature exposure, and micro-breaks aren’t flashy.

But they work because they support the system underneath everything else.

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✨ Final Thought

Your nervous system is always listening.

To your schedule.

To your environment.

To how fast you’re moving through the day.

The goal isn’t eliminating stress.

The goal is helping your body return to calm.

And often the smallest interventions — a walk, a breath, a pause — make the biggest difference.

*Source: SPINS, combined Amazon + Target sales data, last 12 weeks ending in November 2025.

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Further Reading:

You don’t have to cut the morning caffeine drip to protect your brain against dementia in the future.

New research shows that daily coffee or tea –– and yes, the caffeinated kind –– is associated with better cognitive health in the long term.

Those who enjoyed two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea a day saw the biggest impact, according to recent study published in JAMA.

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Coffee drinkers in midlife had about an 18% lower chance of developing dementia later on, while tea drinkers had a 14% lower risk, said senior author of the study Dr. Daniel Wang, assistant professor in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Wang and the team did not observe the same benefit in decaffeinated options amid the data of the more than 130,000 people enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

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Further Reading: