Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Podcast

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


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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

In this final Weekly Intention episode of 2025, Nicki invites you into a simple but transformative practice for the holiday season and the months ahead: opening to delight.
Nicki reflects on how awe can arise in the most ordinary places—a cut grapefruit, the smell of spiced coffee, a quiet childhood memory beneath the Christmas tree. Even on tired, imperfect days, these tiny moments of delight can shift our energy and reconnect us to what’s sacred in daily life.
In this episode, Nicki explores:
-What it means to “open to delight”
-How small, ordinary moments can become sources of awe
-Why naming delight helps us feel more of it
-How this practice can support us through both joy and heaviness
-The difference between “I will” and “I am” in setting intentions
-A gentle invitation to carry this practice into your kitchen and your days
This is the last episode of the year and a beautiful way to center yourself as we enter the holidays and prepare for a new season. The podcast will return in March 2026 with fresh Weekly Intentions and brand-new interviews.
LINKS
* Pre-Order Nicki’s new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Join Nicki for a weekend retreat at Kripalu! (Feb 27-Mar 1, 2026): https://kripalu.org/experiences/mind-body-spirit-food-cooking-spiritual-practice
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Book a 1-on-1 session with Nicki: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/coaching-and-cooking-sessions



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

Today’s conversation felt like a deep exhale. Nicki sits down with breathwork teacher and writer Ashley Neese, author of How to Breathe and Permission to Rest, and publisher of The Deeper Call newsletter. Together they explore what it really means to rest—beyond sleep—and how to work with your nervous system, not against it.
Ashley shares the neurobiological and emotional benefits of rest, why slowing down can feel uncomfortable at first, and how to cultivate micro-practices that soften urgency in daily life—at the stove, with our kids, and especially through the holidays. They also talk about boundaries, the power of the pause, and how lowering our standards (on purpose) can bring more ease and connection into the season.
Listen in for:• Rest vs. sleep—and why “down-regulating” isn’t the same as crashing• The urgency trap and how to unwind it• Small, real-life practices for nervous system regulation• Parenting, food, and letting the kitchen be restful• How to bring more calm and intention to the holidays
Links and resources mentioned in the show:
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Pre-Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Ashley’s website: https://www.ashleyneese.com/
* Ashley’s newsletter: https://thedeepercall.substack.com/
* Ashley’s book, Permission to Rest: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781984860743
* Nicki's podcast episode about the nervous system with Samantha Fulton: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/our-nervous-systems-and-food


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 explores what it means to be simple—not to simplify our lives through action, but to embody a state of simplicity itself. She reflects on why slowing down can feel harder than staying busy, how our nervous systems get swept into the collective pace of the season, and why embracing simplicity—especially now—can feel both radical and deeply nourishing. She shares how this intention can show up in daily life, in the kitchen, in holiday baking, and in the way we inhabit our bodies.
You’ll hear about:
The difference between simplifying and being simple
How nature models the kind of rest and shedding we’re being called into
Simple rituals and foods that help us feel clear, rooted, and present
How this intention can transform cooking into a more joyful, embodied practice
An invitation to drop your metaphorical “leaves” and return to yourself each day
We’re approaching the winter solstice—the darkest day of the year—and there’s no better time to release what you don’t need, settle your energy, and feel the light that comes from being your simplest, truest self.
Resources & Links:
* Pre-Order Nicki’s new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/
* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/
* Join Nicki for a weekend retreat at Kripalu! (Feb 27-Mar 1, 2026): https://kripalu.org/experiences/mind-body-spirit-food-cooking-spiritual-practice
* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore
* Book a 1-on-1 session with Nicki: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/coaching-and-cooking-sessions



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