The Mindful Cook

The Mindful Cook Nutrition and Eating Psychology Coach. ⚡️ I help midlife women ditch diets, gain energy & lose fat with no-BS, evidence-based nutrition and meal plans.

Co-founder Strong & Nourishe No BS, science-backed nutrition for women who want to feel strong, energised & confident in 40s & 50s. My coaching bridges the gap between knowledge and taking action. Nutrition coaching goes beyond simply telling you what to eat—it’s about helping you take clear, achievable action to make lasting changes. With personalised guidance, we’ll focus on building sustainable

habits that fit seamlessly into your lifestyle. It’s not just about knowledge; it’s about giving you the tools, strategies, and accountability to turn that knowledge into action. Together, we’ll break your goals into simple, manageable steps, so you feel confident and in control. Meal plans | Membership | Strong & Nourished

The women who got the best results in our last Strong & Nourished cohort didn’t have more willpower, more time or more e...
24/04/2026

The women who got the best results in our last Strong & Nourished cohort didn’t have more willpower, more time or more effort.

They just did a few simple things, consistently.

Meal prep that took 30 minutes not three hours. Breakfasts they actually looked forward to. Workouts short enough to fit into real life. And when a mad day happened, they came back to their basics without the drama.

But the shift that moved the needle most? It wasn’t a habit at all.
It was realising they were worth nourishing properly. That food wasn’t something to be earned or restricted. That feeling strong, satisfied and energised wasn’t a luxury, it was just what happened when they stopped fighting their body and started fuelling it.

Simple. Enjoyable. Easy to come back to. That’s the whole idea.

If this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, grab a free taster of Strong & Nourished — a day of meals plus a 10 minute training session. Comment STRONG my friend 😊

That’s way too many calories.” 👀I see this in my comments regularly, and I get it. If you’ve spent years being told that...
23/04/2026

That’s way too many calories.” 👀

I see this in my comments regularly, and I get it. If you’ve spent years being told that smaller is better, a 400+ calorie breakfast can feel like a lot.

But here’s what changes when you start eating balanced, wholefood meals that actually fuel your body properly:

→ Your energy stabilises across the day
→ The cravings that used to hit mid-afternoon? Quieter.
→ The grazing, the picking, the 9pm hunger? Less of it.
→ You stop thinking about food constantly

And the best part? The food is genuinely delicious. We’re not talking sad desk lunches and willpower. We’re talking breakfasts you actually look forward to.

When protein, fibre and real wholefoods are built in, your body gets what it needs, and it stops asking for more. Simple as that. That’s not a big portion. That’s the right portion.

Want to see what a full day of this looks like? Grab a free day from my meal plan. COMMENT : plan and I’ll send you a link

17/04/2026

More info➡️ it’s not about fixing one hormone. It’s about supporting the whole system.

Chronically elevated cortisol can play a role in abdominal fat gain, but for most midlife women it’s not the whole story and it’s not one hormone single-handedly causing belly fat.

What’s more commonly going on is a combination of factors. Falling oestrogen, some loss of muscle mass, changes in insulin sensitivity (due to declining oestrogen) , sleep, stress, eating patterns and lower day-to-day movement.

True cortisol excess does exist, but that’s Cushing’s syndrome. It has a very specific presentation and isn’t what most people mean on social media.

Stress does matter, but not just because of cortisol. It can influence appetite, increase cravings for highly palatable foods, disrupt sleep, reduce recovery and make regular movement harder. There’s also some evidence linking chronic stress with more visceral fat over time, but it’s not something you can diagnose by looking at your stomach.

What actually helps is supporting your body consistently:
👉Regular movement, including strength training to support muscle and metabolism

👉Meals built around protein, fibre and healthy fats to stabilise appetite and energy

👉if one of your goals is fat loss, you need to be in a calorie deficit

👉Sleep and stress support where possible

⭐️And some structure so you’re not relying on willpower when life gets busy - consistency matters.

I’ve wanted to share this for a while but it never felt like quite the right moment.Recently, women in our online commun...
14/04/2026

I’ve wanted to share this for a while but it never felt like quite the right moment.

Recently, women in our online community have been talking a lot about weight loss, the honest, complicated, real version of it. And something about that conversation made me think, right, it’s time.

I’m a nutrition coach. I’m 51. I’ve lost 1.5 stone over the past 8-10months ish, and the way I did it I think is the interesting bit. Because I didn’t set a target and grind toward it. I decided who I wanted to be at 50: strong, healthy, confident, and I let the habits follow from that. The fat loss was a byproduct, not the destination. And I think that’s why it stuck. Sustainable fat loss in midlife comes from making a commitment to lifestyle changes and parting with the notion of quick fix diets.

Perhaps the lesson here is stop aiming for a result and start building a stronger, healthier you. That’s the real takeaway. Everything else: the meals, the walks, the habits, is just what it looked like in practice. The truth is, for me at least, it’s about mindset.

Swipe through, and if you’d like a free day of meals, a strength workout and more sent straight to your DMs, just comment STRONG below. 👇

07/04/2026

These plans are built to make eating for fat loss and energy simple 👏🏼

Every meal is designed around roughly 30g protein, 10g fibre, a little healthy fat and a range of nutrients to support steady blood sugar, better energy and fewer cravings.

I know I’m blowing my trumpet here, but I get a LOT of compliments on my food, women love the recipes and enjoy eating like this on repeat. No overthinking, no restriction, just balanced meals that actually keep you full and satisfied.

You’ll also get simple food prep strategies to take the decision fatigue out of busy weeks, plus shopping lists, snack lists and clear guidance on how to approach the plan for fat loss in a way that’s realistic and sustainable.

If you want to see how it works, comment plan and I’ll send you the link to find out more 😊

I thought this would be nice for Easter weekend as some of you might be out and about at markets and the likes! Eating s...
05/04/2026

I thought this would be nice for Easter weekend as some of you might be out and about at markets and the likes!

Eating seasonal and local foods has a few meaningful advantages, both nutritionally and practically:

🪴Better nutrient quality
Produce that’s in season is usually harvested closer to ripeness. This matters because some nutrients, particularly vitamin C and certain plant compounds, can decline over time in storage and transport.

🪴Supports taste and satisfaction
Seasonal foods tend to taste better because they’re grown and picked under the right conditions. That often makes meals more enjoyable.

🪴Less reliance on ultra processed options
When you’re working with what’s available locally, it naturally encourages cooking from whole foods rather than relying on packaged convenience options.

🪴More variety across the year
Eating seasonally means your diet changes over time, which supports a broader intake of different micronutrients and plant compounds. This is beneficial for overall health and gut diversity.

🪴Sometimes more cost effective
Foods in season are typically more abundant, which can make them cheaper and more accessible. Although don’t try and buy Ayrshire new potatoes in season – a bag last year cost me almost £10😂

Generally, local, seasonal produce generally requires less transport, storage and energy input compared to out of season foods grown or shipped long distances.

What you enjoying?

It’s ok to use food as a comfort, reward or to eat for other reasons than biological hunger. It’s when food is eaten qu...
01/04/2026

It’s ok to use food as a comfort, reward or to eat for other reasons than biological hunger. It’s when food is eaten quickly, in secret, or with a sense of guilt, it keeps it in that “forbidden” category. That’s what gives it more power and makes it feel harder to stop.

By sitting down, putting it on a plate and eating it openly, you bring it into your awareness. You’re no longer on autopilot, you’re making a conscious choice
That changes how you experience it. You’re more likely to slow down, actually enjoy it, and feel satisfied.

It also removes the guilt, which is key. Because when that “I’ve blown it” story isn’t there, you don’t get the spiral that usually follows.

Make it intentional and when it doesn’t feel that way, practice a pause and have your toolkit of other thigs you can turn to ready to go….

Got any other tips and techniques? Drop ‘em in the comments!

💾save me. 📧send to a friend

30/03/2026

Another simple, healthy lunch idea that supports energy and appetite 🙌

Built around the perfect balance of protein, fibre and micronutrients. bitter leaves for fibre, gut health and antioxidants, yellow pepper for vit C, spring onion for prebiotic fibres that support gut bacteria and lots of B vitamins in the chicken to support energy metabolism.

Prep tip: You can make this really easy by prepping your chicken ahead….
Cook off a couple of chicken breasts in advance
I use a lidded dish with a little water to poach, season and something like smoked paprika . bake for 25mins on a 180c fan. Or buy cooked chicken breast if you prefer.

Pop it into lidded containers and you’ve got a balanced, high protein lunch ready to go

Serves 2
371cals 41g protein 8g fibre
Ingredients:
2 small chicken breast (approx. 210g)
200g Tinned chickpeas
30g rocket
1 large yellow pepper
4 Spring onions
1 Tbsp Light mayo
Squeeze sriracha
Salt and pepper
Method:
Chop the chicken pepper and onions, Place in a bowl, season, add the mayo and sriracha, stir to coat before folding through the rocket.

💾 save for meal prep📧send to a friend

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About The Mindful Cook

“In a world full of misleading and confusing information on health, eating and diets, there is this gem called Josie Buck aka The Mindful Cook. Josie is supportive, kind and knowledgable. If you want to change your relationship with food then this is your girl!”

Hi! I’m Josie, AKA The Mindful Cook.

I’m a food and eating psychology coach. I believe that to feel better in ourselves we need to ditch diets, look after our emotional health and nourish our cells with nutritious and delicious food. My online courses and residential retreats teach you how you can harness the power of nourishing food and emotional well-being to become your most marvellous self.

As a food and eating psychology coach, I offer safe and supportive advice to women who are ready to change the way they relate to food and their bodies.