Navigating Perimenopause with More Nourishment, Less Dogma

In this week’s episode, I sit down with registered dietitian and functional medicine practitioner Samantha Rigoli for a grounded, empowering conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and how to support ourselves through this season of change with more nourishment and less dogma. We explore the common—and often overlooked—symptoms of perimenopause, how shifting hormones can impact mood, sleep, stress, and energy, and why so many women feel like their bodies suddenly stop responding the way they once did. Sam shares practical insights on blood sugar balance, protein, fiber, movement, nervous system support, supplements, and the powerful role of consistency in helping us feel more steady and well. We also talk about the emotional side of this transition, and how this phase of life can become an invitation into deeper self-trust, strength, and connection.Links and resources* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Samantha’s website: healthytothecorenyc.com* Samantha’s free CORE Reset Method (Perimenopause Nutrition Program): https://healthytothecorenyc.com/core-reset-method* Find Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthytothecorenyc/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

What does it really mean to nourish yourself?In this episode, I sit down with chef, food stylist, and author Melina Hammer (A Year at Catbird Cottage) for a thoughtful conversation on food, self-care, and living with more intention.Together, we explore how to create simple, nourishing meals using seasonal ingredients, find inspiration in spring cooking and foraging (including garlic mustard and field garlic), and elevate everyday dishes with ease.We also reflect on the deeper side of nourishment—how food connects to mindfulness, gentleness, and self-care—and what it looks like to move away from extremes and toward a more balanced, intuitive way of eating and living. A grounding and inspiring conversation on cooking, creativity, and what it means to truly nourish yourself.Links:* Episode Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/melina-hammer* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Melina’s book, A Year at Catbird Cottage: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781984859709* Melina’s newsletter: https://catbirdcottage.substack.com/* Melina’s website: https://www.melinahammer.com/* Find Melina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melinahammer/* My Substack Live with Melina: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/edible-holiday-gifts* Nicki’s podcast episode with Ashley Neese, Permission to Rest: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/ashley-neese* Nicki’s podcast episode about moving one step at a time: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s intention is: I will get curious.Building on last week’s practice of moving one step at a time, this episode explores how curiosity can help us move through overwhelm and reconnect with play. When we let go of the need for a perfect outcome, we open ourselves to creativity, discovery, and growth—in the kitchen and beyond.Tune in for a simple shift that can bring more ease, experimentation, and delight into your everyday life. Links and resources* Last week's Intention Episode (I will move one step at a time): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time* Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I’m joined by Marije Vogelzang, a pioneering Dutch food designer who uses food as a medium to explore human connection, emotion, and experience.While we often think of food as flavor or nutrition, Marije invites us to see it as something much deeper—a way to access memory, create meaning, and reconnect with ourselves and each other. This conversation explores food as ritual, as play, and as a powerful tool for presence.We also dive into the parts of food we often avoid—the connection to death, transformation, and the unseen processes that make nourishment possible—and how embracing these realities can deepen our gratitude and sense of aliveness.Toward the end, Marije shares a simple, playful way to make your meals more meaningful—something you can try at your own table tonight.Links and Resources* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Marije’s website: www.marijevogelzang.nl* Food Design Playground: www.fooddesignplayground.nl* Find Marije on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marije_vogelzang/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

Feeling the surge of spring energy—the ideas, the momentum, the urge to do it all at once?In this week’s intention episode, I’m sharing a gentle reminder: we don’t have to rush to the finish line. Just like seeds in the garden, growth happens step by step. In this episode, we explore:*Why this season of “activation” can feel both exciting and overwhelming*The wisdom of slowing down and trusting the process*How moving step by step can bring more ease and joy into your days*A simple way to practice this in the kitchen (even on a busy schedule) plus a spring entertaining menu*How missteps and “failures” often lead to something even betterThis is an invitation to soften, surrender, and remember: the transformation happens in the making—not just the end result. Be sure to head over to the newsletter, where I share the spring menu!LINKS* This week's newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time* Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

What if cooking felt less like following rules—and more like freedom?In this episode, I’m joined by intuitive cooking coach Katerina Pavlakis to explore how we can move beyond rigid recipes and reconnect with our senses in the kitchen. We talk about building confidence, cooking with creativity, and finding joy in everyday meals.Katerina shares how to think in patterns instead of recipes, layer flavor with ease, and trust your instincts so cooking becomes simple, nourishing, and even fun.In this episode:* What intuitive cooking really means* How to trust your senses in the kitchen* Why recipes can feel limiting—and how to use them as inspiration* Simple ways to build flavor and add contrast* A more flexible, non-restrictive approach to healthy eatingLINKS & RESOURCES* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Katerina's website: https://www.theintuitivecook.co.uk/* Find Katerina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.cook/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

What if the smallest moments of your day held the potential to shift everything?In this short episode, Nicki explores the idea of making each moment sacred—not in a perfect or lofty way, but through simple, real-life awareness.Inspired by her recent conversation with Tamar Adler, this episode dives into what “sacred” actually feels like in the body, and how everyday acts like cooking, eating, or doing the dishes can become opportunities for presence, gratitude, and connection.She shares a real-life story about completely forgetting this intention… and why that’s actually the point.This episode is a gentle reminder that the practice isn’t about getting it right—it’s about remembering, again and again.LINKS* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Nicki's episode with Tamar Adler: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/tamar-adler* Nicki's episode with Bella Lively: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/bella-lively* Good Things cookbook, by Samin Nosrat: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781984857781 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Nicki sits down with Tamar Adler, the James Beard and IACP Award–winning author of An Everlasting Meal, Something Old, Something New, and the bestselling The Everlasting Meal Cookbook. Her newest book, Feast on Your Life, explores how everyday cooking can become a practice of attention, care, and delight.Together they discuss why cooking still matters, how noticing with our senses can transform the kitchen experience, and why letting go of perfectionism can bring more freedom and joy to home cooking. Tamar also shares her thoughts on cooking for children, simple rituals around the table, and a powerful reframe: focusing less on making the perfect meal and more on the experience of gathering and being fed.This conversation is an invitation to slow down, cook with presence, and rediscover the meaning and pleasure in everyday meals.LINKS & RESOURCES* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Tamar’s newsletter, The Kitchen Shrink: https://tamaradler.substack.com/* Find Tamar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamar.e.adler/* Tamar’s new book, Feast on Your Life: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781668078020 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s intention episode, Nicki reflects on the power of connection—both with ourselves and with others.After several weeks of book tour events and retreats, meeting listeners and readers in person reminded her how nourishing it can be to share our stories and experiences. But true connection doesn’t begin with other people—it begins within.Nicki explores how real connection doesn't come from people-pleasing, resentment, enmeshment, or obligation, but rather from a place of grounding. When we're rooted in ourselves our relationships become freer, more creative, and more nourishing. She also reflects on how we can bring this into the kitchen.This week’s intention:I will connect to others.LINKS AND RESOURCES:* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Sunday’s newsletter, all about connection (with a cake recipe!): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/almond-coconut-cake* Podcast episode mentioned with Meggan Watterson: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/meggan-watterson* The Girl Who Baptized Herself, by Meggan Watterson: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9780593595008* My Substack Live with Ellie Krieger: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/from-chore-to-choice-reclaiming-joy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to season 7! In this episode, I'm joined by cookbook author, photographer, and gluten-free baking pioneer Aran Goyoaga to talk about her book The Art of Gluten-Free Bread.We dive into what it really takes to make beautiful, structured gluten-free bread — from sourdough starters (flour + water + time + wild yeast) to fermentation, ingredients, and why using a scale matters. Aran breaks down the science in an approachable way, making this episode empowering whether you’re gluten-free or not.But this conversation goes beyond technique.We talk about bread making as a meditative, grounding practice — a way to bring busy, anxious energy back into the body through the hands. In a digital, AI-driven world, there’s something profoundly human about creating bread from scratch.We also explore the intersection of creativity and commerce, and we dive into rest, inspiration, and the need to occasionally step away.Whether you’re new to bread making or ready to deepen your craft, this episode is a gentle invitation to begin.Links and resources:* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore* Listen to my first episode with Aran: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/aran-goyoaga* Order Aran’s latest book, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781648292026* Find Aran on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannellevanille/* Aran’s website: https://www.arangoyoaga.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe