Nourish Food for Life

🍓JULY FRUIT🍓
Lots of deliciousness on the list this month! My personal favourites being cherries. I love that they taste great with chocolate (dark chocolate dipped cherries anyone?) and that they’re packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory.
Seen anything on this list you’ve not tried before? Bilberries are new to me!
Grab my annual list of season vegetables and fruits for FREE (head to the link in my bio) and start thinking about diversifying your diet with vegetables and fruits you don’t usually eat. If you’re stuck for ideas, comment below and I’ll help you out 💚

🍆 JULY VEGETABLES 🍆
It’s back by popular demand - my list of seasonal veg!
Eating foods that are in season is a simple way of enjoying foods at their best, nutritionally and in terms of flavour. If you’ve ever eaten a strawberry out of season, you’ll know exactly what I mean!
Choosing seasonal foods when they are available in abundance is also kinder to your wallet.
This month, why not buy tomatoes in bulk whilst they are at their best and blitz into a purée and freeze, ready to be used for pasta, pizza, curries, soups and stews.
This month, I’ll also be tanking up on rocket and making my vegan pesto in bulk and freezing in small portions for lunch or dinner in a hurry, without the inflammatory oils and preservatives that go into shop bought pesto.
What are you inspired to make from scratch this month? 💚

📈PROGRESS IS NOT LINEAR📊

I saw something this morning that got me thinking.

We place great value on progress. On moving forward, or onwards and upwards.

But life (and progress) is rarely linear.

It doesn’t always have an upward or forward-moving trajectory though, does it? In fact, the great breakthroughs, the forward momentum can often come after a period of stagnation, a feeling of “one step forward, three steps back”.

So here’s a reminder to judge your progress not by how far you’ve come but by looking at the lessons you’ve learnt when things haven’t gone your way. It’s in these moments that we build resiliency and the skills needed to reset and start moving forward again.

How do you reset? 💚

Need a hand resetting your diet? Book your free 30 min call with me to get moving forward again (link in bio).

WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?

From a young age, certain concepts make their way into our psyche and pave the path of our future selves.

Without a second thought we walk in the footsteps of those who've come before, echoing their words, aping their actions.

Do you strive for goals set by others?

Time to rip up the rule book and dance to your own tune!

One of the most powerful ways of doing this is to define your own version of success.

To me, positive impact is the most important barometer of success.

What is yours? Share below and let's widen the horizons when it comes to defining success!

p.s. if you loved my affirmation, check out video in my bio, sharing the 10 most powerful mindset affirmations, including mine! Powerful stuff.

🎉NUTRITION FOR LIFE🎉
Tomorrow I’m opening the doors to my signature Reset & Nourish Programme. Whoop whoop!
Over the course of 12 weeks, I’ll show you how to take control of your plate and wellbeing by teaching you the fundamentals of nutrition.
No fads. No BS. No gimmicks.
Just solid nutritional foundations to inform your every day food choices and support your health. That’s the thing with knowledge, it can’t be taken away!
The best bit about Reset & Nourish, it’s customisable to your needs 💚
If you’re confident implementing the nutritional know-how you’ll learn on your own, the Online Only option is best for you.
If you’ve tried to go it alone and struggled to meet your diet and wellbeing goals, you’ll want to for the Hands On option where in addition to nutrition education, you’ll receive 1:1 coaching, Voxer support and accountability check-ins to help meet your goals. This option is for you if you need personalised support and are ready to make lifestyle changes for good.
Swipe left for all the juicy details including what my last cohort learnt.
Don’t forget to sign up to my free masterclass tomorrow evening. I’ll be sharing my top strategies for enjoying the festive season without overindulging and starting 2022 feeling fab! Sign up via the link in my bio.
SPOILER ALERT: masterclass attendees will have access to super special bonuses. They are way too good to be missed. Don’t say I didn’t tell you! 💚🎉

💚TIME TO GET RE-ACQUAINTED 💚
Hi, I’m Sonal and this is the first picture I’ve loved of myself in years.
I spent my 20s feeling deeply unhappy with how I looked.
Within a short time, I went from a confident, sassy and healthy girl to an overweight, overly self-conscious and unhealthy woman.
You’re probably wondering what changed. FOOD.
When you go from eating home cooked meals 99% of the time to skipping breakfast, grabbing sugary shizzle to fill the hole and treating yourself to chips almost every day, your figure and health are bound to go pear shaped…
At the time however, I was oblivious.
We’re not taught about nutrition or how food affects the body in any meaningful way and I was utterly clueless about the havoc I was wreaking on my health.
All that mattered was my dress size. I tried diet after diet after diet. And they all worked! Initially, at least… Then the weight would pile on again and I’d go back to beating myself up for “failing”.
It wasn’t until I wanted a family that I started taking my health seriously. I knew things might not be straightforward for me and that something had to change.
I educated and informed myself. When my consultant refused to accept that I didn’t have a 28 day cycle (not rocket science considering I’d had PCOS since 19), I stood up to him and refused the procedure he insisted I would have to have. The very next day, I had a positive pregnancy test in my hands! 💚
This experience taught me to trust my gut, that I knew my body better than anyone and that knowledge was power.
For the first time, I felt empowered to take control of my health. To be continued… 💚
Photo credit 📸
Earrings from 👑

🥬🔟 A DAY🥕
When it comes to plant foods, in most cases, we don’t need to worry about moderation.
Though we’re usually told to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, eating 10 portions of plant foods (vegetables + fruit + herbs + spices) has been found to protect against disease. That’s a pretty good reason to amp up your intake of plant foods!
1 portion is equal to 80g so if we’re looking to hit our 10 a day, that’s 800g.
Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Swipe left to see what 1 portion of some common plant foods look like.
Still not convinced? Have a read of my last post which shares the benefits of plant foods in a bit more detail.
And keep your 👀 peel for a very special collaboration later today with that’ll challenge you to hit your 10 a day the easy way! You got this 💪🏼

🥦EAT MORE PLANTS🧄
There’s one thing most people in the know agree on - eating more plant foods (vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices) is good for you.
Here’s why:
1️⃣Plant foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, micronutrients needed for key physiological processes such as regulating our heartbeat and body temperature, turning what we eat into cellular energy and so much more!
2️⃣ Plant foods are high in fibre. As well as aiding gut motility, fibre helps to lower cholesterol and balance blood sugars. Prebiotic fibre feeds good gut bacteria and helps diversify the gut microbiota, which research tells us contributes to better health outcomes.
3️⃣ Plant foods are packed with polyphenols, organic compounds known to support long term health by fighting cellular damage, lowering inflammation and even blood pressure. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (lettuce) 😜!
So whether you’re an omnivore, pescatarian, flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan, theres a place for plant foods in your diet.
Looking to amp up your intake of plant foods? Download 10 Ways to 10 a Day from the link in my bio 💚
For recipes to help you nail your intake of plant foods, look out for new book out on 30 Nov. I’ve had a sneak peak and love the plant packed recipes! 👀

🥦HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?🍎
We all know that the NHS recommends we eat at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruit a day.
But did you know that eating 10 portions of vegetables and fruit a day has been shown to significantly lower the risk of disease?
A pretty compelling case for eating more vegetables and fruit!
Easier said than done, I know. So I created a crib sheet - 10 Ways to 10 a Day - to help you amp up your veg intake easily.
Head to https://www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/10-ways/ or head to the link in my bio to get your free copy.
P.s. do you know how big 1 portion of veg and fruit is? Share your answer below ⬇️
Or head to my last reel for the answer (Avengers Style-y!). If nothing else you’ll get to see my face doing all kinds of contortions 🤪

Posted • NEW PODCAST HAS DROPPED!

Want to understand why nutrition is so important for your fertility? I chat with Sonal about fat, gut health and sugar and what they mean for conception.

Sonal is a City escapee and qualified nutrition coach on a mission To help women take control of the plates and wellbeing, so they (and their families) can live more healthfully!

Link in bio 🧡

🪔CACAO HALVA BARFI🪔
Halva is a Middle Eastern sweet made with sesame seeds and honey.
It has a distinctive texture and taste, sweet but with an ever so slight bitterness from the abundant use of sesame seeds.
Last year, inspired by my love of halva and chocolate, I developed this recipe for my Diwali cooking class.
It’s free from refined sugar and vegan as I replaced the honey with maple syrup.
It’s utterly delicious and so sumptuous, I recommend cutting these into bite size pieces!
I love that it’s packed full of nourishing ingredients like tahini, which is high in calcium (another reason I chose to use it for my kids’ cooking class!), B vitamins and potassium.
Most importantly though, it’s delicious! 😋
What are you making this Diwali? 🪔

UPDATE: don't forget to drop me a message or comment below if you'd like some healthful Halloween recipes! 💚
🎃HEALTHFUL HALLOWEEN?🎃
I know what you’re thinking. Why the hell consider a healthful Halloween?
I get it, holidays are meant to be enjoyed and a treat here and there doesn’t hurt. But let’s consider the bigger picture…
By focusing special occasions on sugary shizzle we create an association between celebrations and sweets that lasts a lifetime.
Sugar is one of the most addictive substances in the world.
Not to sound like a drama mana but normalising regular consumption of sugary treats sets our kids up for a lifetime of addiction. One which many of us struggle with ourselves.
Let’s do better for our little monsters and show them a better way so that obesity, diabetes and yo-yo dieting is not something that affects them or their families.
Swipe above for my ideas on how to shift the spotlight away from sugary treats whilst still creating fun memories 💚

🚩RED FLAGS🚩
Have you seen the red flag 🚩trend on ?
Got me thinking about the red flags I see as a Nutrition Coach…
Unclear why any of these are red flags? Let me know which one’s got you baffled, and I’ll give you my take 💚
🚩

🧠BRAIN FOOD🧠
This I’m sharing which nutritional deficiencies and imbalances are commonly associated with adversely affecting the brain and, most importantly, which foods to consume to ensure you’re getting all the brain food you need. Swipe left for the !
For a limited time, I’m offering FREE access to my workshop on brain food, which digs a little deeper on this topic. To access, drop me a DM or comment ⬇️

ℹ️HEALTHY EATING MADE EASYℹ️
Eating healthily has become far too complicated, wouldn’t you agree?
But it doesn’t have to be.
Follow my simple healthy eating tips and start living more healthfully today.
For full blood head to https://www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/a-simple-guide-to-healthy-eating/
What do you think - has healthy eating become too convoluted? 🤨 Let me know the the comments ⬇️💚
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🤷🏻‍♀️OOPs, THEY DID IT AGAIN…🤷🏻‍♀️
These social media outages (reign on ) remind me of those little villages in India and elsewhere, where they have electricity but can’t totally rely on it.
It got me thinking about how reliant we’ve become on social media as a means of communicating. Anyone else guilty of replying quicker on DMs then anywhere else?😬
It was also a sharp reminder that we can’t take this space for granted. It’s here today but tomorrow, who knows?
There are so many of you lovely folk who I’ve also connected with elsewhere, so if the worst happens, I know we’ll find each other again (aw!).
There are also a whole bunch of you, who I might never have the pleasure or parlaying with again (tragedy!).
So, I’m inviting you take our relationship to the next level. Let’s swap emails and really get to know one another.
I’m not one from spammy emails, pinky promise. 🤙
If you’re lucky, you’ll hear from me once or twice a month (more when there’s something exciting afoot).
If I start to get on your proverbials you can always hit “Unsubscribe”. 😜
So, what’s it going to be? 🤨
Ready to take things to the next level, sign up here https://www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk or drop me a DM with your email address 💚
I’ll catch you on the flip side 😁

🥣CELERIAC SOUP🥣
A fair few of you were intrigued as to do I’d do with my celeriac, so I’m sharing my “rough and ready” recipe i.e. not recipe tested multiple times… Eeek! 😅
I’m pretty confident this one’s a keeper…It went down well with both the kiddo & the other half. ✅
Not bad considering it’s my first time cooking with celeriac!😁
I made this in the but you could also make this in a regular pressure cooker or in a lidded saucepan. 🎛
Ingredients:🧾
1 bulb of garlic (yes, the entire thing!)
1 red onion, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 celeriac, washed, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 tablespoons of veg bouillon
2 cups of water
Fresh chives, to garnish
Method: 👩🏻‍🍳
1. Separate the cloves of garlic and roast for 10 mins in a preheated oven at 190 degrees celsius
2. Put the sauté mode on for the instant pot. After a minute, add the chopped red onions and sauté for 2-3 mins
3. Add the chopped celeriac and stir. Cook for a further 4 minutes or until the celeriac chunks start to brown ever so slightly
4. Remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool for a minute or so before peeling. Place the roasted garlic into the instant pot and stir. Cook for a further 2 mins
5. Make a paste using the veg bouillon and some of the hot water. Slowly add the rest of the water and pour the veg stock into the instant pot
6. Close the instant pot lid and change to pressure cook mode for 14 mins
7. Once cool, open the instant pot lid blend into a smooth soup using a stick blender.
8. Garnish with chopped chives and serve warm.
Simples! For a heartier meal, enjoy with some quinoa or buckwheat groats. 😋
Which veggies haven’t you cooked with before but would like to? 💚

👸🏻 SHE Awards 2022 Finalist in the Health & Fitness Category👸🏻
Launched in 2018 to commemorate a hundred year’s of women gaining the right to vote, SHEAwardsUK] is an annual awards platform celebrating the achievements of women.
I love everything that the SHE Awards stand for, so it’s a pleasure to share that I’m a finalist in the Health and Fitness category for the 2022 SHE Awards! 🎉
Thank you to everyone who nominated me and SHEAwardsUK] for shortlisting me and a huge congratulations to all the other nominees 💚

💚LIFE IS A CHOICE💚
Yesterday’s choices define today and today’s choices create tomorrow.
Change your choices, change your life.
Is it time you changed your choices and took charge of your plate and wellbeing?
If so, I have just the thing for you…
My 12 week nutrition and wellness group coaching programme!
Over 12 week’s we’ll cover nutrition and wellness education and put all you learn into practise with weekly challenges and accountability.
As well as access to me in the group, you’ll get delicious and healthful recipes, a vision boarding workshop, a cooking class and a pretty awesome welcome pack to help you stay on track.
Come join a small and super special tribe intent on creating a more healthful lifestyle that works for them!
It is going be to transformational. 💚
As it’s the first time I’m running the course, it’s priced at a bargainacious £777. That’s less than £65 per week for something that is going to transform your diet, wellbeing and knowledge.
It’s all about empowering you to take control of your health for good!
I have a super special bonus if you sign up by the end of the day - a FREE 1:1 with me before we kick off the programme (invaluable to personalising your experience) + a VIP welcome pack (not to be missed).
I’d love to help you live more healthfully! 💚
Come join me: https://www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/services/
Any questions, let me know below or DM 🙏🏼

Sign up today for a FREE 1:1 with me 💚

Posted •
Empowering Women Through Their Plates With Sonal Ambasna 🌟⁣
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The world of nutrition and wellness can be a tough space to navigate and one that Sonal aka knows well 💚⁣
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Sonal is a Nutrition & Wellness Coach and the Founder of Nourish Food for Life, where she educates, empowers and supports women to improve and change their relationship with food and wellbeing!⁣
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Read the full member spotlight with Sonal and head how her corporate background has shaped the way she runs her business today 🙂 - https://creativeimpact.group/sonal-ambasna/

🇹🇭THAI-INSPIRED NOODLE CURRY🇹🇭
Looking for some hump day dinner inspiration?
Head to www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/thai-inspired-noodle-curry! 💚

🎉12 Week Group Nutrition & Wellness Coaching Experience🎉
Join me in my immersive group coaching programme that will take you on a journey of self-discovery, self-love & self-care.
After 12 weeks with me & some amazing wellness experts, you’ll be firmly in control of your plate and wellbeing, living a more healthful intuitive life that fills you with joy.
No more overwhelm, no more fear, no more doubt!
As it’s the first time I’m running this programme, you’ll get the chance to guide where this experience takes you.
Like my 1:1 work, the course content will be tailored to the 10 lucky participants. If there’s something you want to learn, all you gotta do is let me know! Now that’s what I call service 💚
This will be a small intimate group to help you drive the change you’ve been chasing so hard on your own and so no one gets lost in the rabble.
Nutrition is the heart of wellness so that is what we’ll focus on but along the way you’ll also hear from other experts committed to your health and wellbeing.
Honestly, I cannot wait! This is precisely the course I would have thrived on when I knew diddly squat about nutrition and wellness.
Over 3 months, you’ll change the way you think about food and develop a detailed foundational knowledge of nutrition and - most importantly, as my clients always tell me, how to put this into practise in your every day.
I won’t make any BS promises that you can eat what you like and still achieve your health goals but I’ll be there every step of the way to create sustainable lifestyle change that works for you.
To find out more book your complimentary clarity call (link in bio) today! 💚
Book by the end of August for these juicy bonuses:
💚 a 1:1 session with me worth £85
💚 VIP welcome pack

👋HEY, HOW ARE YOU?👋
It’s great to have you here!🎉
If you’re new to the page, welcome 💚 If you’ve been here a while, thank you 🙏🏼
I’m Sonal and I’m a Nutrition and Wellness Coach helping time-strapped women take control of their plate and wellbeing so they can live more healthfully. 🥰
I started this page way back in 2017 when I was studying Nutrition in Practice Leiths School of Food and Wine]. 👩🏻‍🍳
I was working full time but managed to wangle 10 Wednesdays off work to do the course at Leiths, something I still can’t quite believe happened! 😁
Going to Leiths School of Food and Wine] changed my whole life and it wasn’t long before I’d escaped the City, retrained as a Nutrition Coach with and founded my purpose-led nutrition coaching business Nourish Food for Life.
If you’d asked my back in 2016 how I saw the next 5 years panning out, I’d never in a million years have envisioned leaving the comfort of my corporate job and striking out on my own.
Life really does turn on a dime!
Now I help women who, just like me 5 years ago, struggle to prioritise their plate and wellbeing.
I love empowering women to live more healthfully 💚
If you’re fed up of feeling like your diet is not up to scratch and don’t quite know what needs to change or how, book your complimentary clarity call now (link in bio) and find out how I can help. 💚

🎉12 Week Group Nutrition & Wellness Coaching Experience🎉
It’s finally here! My immersive group coaching programme that will take you on a journey of self-discovery, self-love & self-care.
After 12 weeks with me & some amazing wellness experts, you’ll be firmly in control of your plate and wellbeing, living a more healthful intuitive life that fills you with joy. No more overwhelm, no more fear, no more doubt!
As it’s first time I’m running this programme, you’ll get the chance to guide where this experience takes you.
Like my 1:1 work, the course content will be tailored to the 10 lucky participants. If there’s something you want to learn, all you gotta do is let me know! Now that’s what I call service 💚
There are only 10 spots so I can keep this small, intimate and help you drive the change you’ve been chasing so hard on your own and so that no one gets lost in the rabble.
Nutrition is the heart of wellness so that is what we’ll focus on but along the way you’ll also hear from other experts committed to your health and wellbeing.
Honestly, I cannot wait! This is precisely the course I would have thrived on when I knew diddly squat about nutrition and wellness.
Over 3 months, you’ll change the way you think about food and develop a detailed foundational knowledge of nutrition and - most importantly, as my clients always tell me, how to put this into practise in your every day.
I won’t make any BS promises that you can eat what you like and still achieve your health goals but I’ll be there every step of the way to create sustainable lifestyle change that works for you.
To find out more book your complimentary clarity call today: www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/complimentary-clarity-call 💚
Ooooh I forgot to mention, book by the end of August for some juicy bonuses including:
💚 a 1:1 session with me worth £85
💚 a ticket to my culinary nutrition cooking class worth £28
💚 VIP welcome pack

🫒MINI MEZZE COOKING CLASS🫒
In this week’s culinary nutrition for kids’ cooking class (online) we’re heading to the Middle East!
On the menu, we have:
💚 Baked Falafel
💚 Courgette Baba Ganoush
💚 Cauliflower Tabbouleh
A feast of flavour, vegetables & colour!
Scroll across for a sneak peak of my mini-mezze cookbook… Be warned though, it will make you hungry 🤤
Book your ticket at www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/events and show your kids how to go beyond baking in the kitchen! 💚

💜JOIN US AT 11AM TOMORROW ON Salaam Radio]] 💜
The segment on Salaam Radio]] is all about celebrating women and their achievements. So I was touched when Iram got in touch inviting me on as a guest. 💚
Join us at 11am on Salaam Radio]] page for a lively conversation around around empowering women to take control of their plates and wellbeing! 🙏🏼

https://fb.me/e/1zUyH0k04

☀️AUGUST VEGETABLES☀️⁠
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So many vegetables, so little time! There are 41 vegetables to play with this month folks (swipe left to see the list), that's a helluva a lot. No excuse for not getting plenty of veg in this month, huh?⁠
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Talking of vegetables, how many is best? ⁠
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The NHS recommends that each of us consume 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. 1 portion = 80g, so 5 portions = 400g. This could look like 7 strawberries + 1 apple + 2 broccoli florets + 1 medium tomato + 3 heaped tablespoons of peas. Sounds do-able, doesn't it? BUT YOU DESERVE BETTER. ⁠
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While 5 portions of fruit and vegetables is a good start, 10 a day (and 30 different vegetables a week) is better. Here's why:⁠
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1. eating 10 portions i.e. 800g of fruit and vegetables a day has been found to help in staving off disease as they're packed with health-supportive polyphenols. ⁠
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2. fruit and vegetables are packed with fibre which helps helps keeps things moving along the digestive tract (say see-ya-later constipation!). Fibre also feeds the gut microbiome helping to keep it diverse, which is key to overall health. ⁠
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3. eating a variety of vegetables and fruit, the more brightly coloured the better, ensures you get a variety of nutrients into your diet. ⁠
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What do you reckon, could you do 10 a day (and 30 different vegetables a week)? Let me know below! ⁠
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Don't forget to save this post so you can refer to the list of seasonal veg when you do your food shop.

👨‍🍳 Have you got ? 👨‍🍳
Parents, I've got just the thing for you and your kiddos these holidays...
Cooking classes for curious kids!
As a Nutrition Coach, I've carefully curated my classes so that your children are:

- encouraged to go beyond baking and explore cooking from scratch more,
- confident, creative and comfortable in the kitchen, and
- inspired to expand their culinary repertoire and understanding of healthful eating, in a fun and stress-free way.
Online classes are open to the whole family so everyone can get involved!
We kick off next Wednesday with a selection of salads. We'll be learning how to:
- balance different flavours,
- explore textures and creating complexity in a single dish,
- prep veg, fruit and herbs safely.
By the end of the session, your children will have created two nourishing salads that they'll be able to recreate on their own time and again.
Get your tickets here: www.nourishfoodforlife.co.uk/events - any questions, ask away in the comments 💚
Did I mention, you pay for 1 ticket & the whole household can join? How’s that for good value! 😁