Too Much of a Good Thing: Banish the Food Prep Overwhelm

Hey Folks! We're excited to welcome back Certified 21DSD Coach Angelique Trigueros. Angelique's article is part of a series contributed by our Certified 21DSD Coaches. Enjoy! – Diane and Team

It was not that long ago that I did my first 21DSD and I was so jazzed about doing it that I may or may not have bought just about every product listed so I could have it on hand!

I may have gone overboard, but I thought I should be prepared for every possibility in regards to what I was going to whip up at any given time–I didn't want to be caught without the necessary ingredients and then risk messing up my detox!

Thankfully, I now have time, experience and perspective on my side, and I would like to use it to pass on some helpful hints for those of you about to delve into YOUR first 21DSD.

• Recruit the Troops. It is VERY fun to prep and cook when you get others involved. Whether they are people within your household or friends who would love some hang time, tell them to grab an apron! This is a great way to spread the joy (not the overwhelm!!) of cooking. You can provide the kombucha as they slice and dice. Meanwhile you begin to transform your kitchen into a wonderland of scents and delicacies. Food is a very social thing in addition to providing nutrition. There is a lot of bonding that happens here. Plus, you might spur someone else into doing this for themselves, too! Then you can take turns prepping together regularly–how cool is that?

• Become a Gatherer. Find 3 or 4 recipes that you want to make to start and then just buy the ingredients for those. Chances are, you already have many of the things listed (if I had done this I would not have so many duplicate spice jars in my cupboard!) and you can add on as you'd like. It helps when you can find some recipes that use the same ingredients so you will actually end up buying less at a time.

• Love is Patient. First and foremost, be kind to yourself. This is a new template for you. If you have not been used to food prep before now, it is going to feel like a lot of work in the beginning. But it gets easier the more you do it– just like ANY new habit or skill that we begin to do over and over. You will figure out shortcuts and soon you will be a master of your domain!

• Pretend you are on Chopped! Set aside a few hours one day to bust out things that can be prepared and stored easily. It is truly amazing how you can make so many things at once without compromising your sanity. For example, you can boil eggs on the stove, bake something in the oven (bacon, a roast or a spaghetti squash), prep something else that could go in the oven once the other is finished, and even have something else going in a crockpot or a dehydrator! I know it sounds busy and very industrious, but this chunk of prep time saves you many hours during your weekdays, not to mention it allows you to still have “fast food” but in a new way—nutritiously!

• Steal the Show. Be open to your own creativity! This is a BIG one! A recipe is a great way to get the juices flowing, but allow yourself to experiment. Trying new flavors and textures is half the fun of creating your own food! You may even come up with a version that you like better and people will be asking to have YOUR recipe!

Happy cooking! Enjoy!

Angelique Trigueros is a speech-language pathologist in the health care field, a certified professional life coach who specializes in wellness and mindset shifts, 21DSD Certified Coach, and a doctoral candidate in health psychology. She loves to run, hike and do yoga! She educates and trains health care professionals, progressive businesses and highly motivated individuals to use food to revitalize their lives, increase productivity, prevent and even reverse illness.