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

Christmas can be joyful and exhausting in equal measure. More people, more food, more noise, more decisions. It’s a lot,...
18/12/2025

Christmas can be joyful and exhausting in equal measure. More people, more food, more noise, more decisions. It’s a lot, especially if you’re already juggling work, family and the invisible load that so many women carry.

This isn’t about doing December “right”. It’s about self-preservation and anchoring your wellbeing.

A bit of simple meal prep so you’re not starting from empty every day. Adding greens where you can, not as a rule but as a way to support digestion and energy. Moving your body in ways that feel doable, not punishing. Drinking enough water because everything feels harder when you’re dehydrated. Enjoying the foods you love without guilt or overthinking. And taking time out, even if it’s brief, because your nervous system needs pauses too.

None of this is about control. It’s about staying grounded through a busy season so you can actually enjoy it.

💾Save this for the days when December feels loud, and come back to it as often as you need.

Too many bubbles happens.Alcohol affects sleep and hydration for everyone. What often changes in midlife is how noticeab...
14/12/2025

Too many bubbles happens.

Alcohol affects sleep and hydration for everyone. What often changes in midlife is how noticeable those effects feel. Sleep can be more easily disrupted, dehydration can show up faster, and fluctuating hormones can make alcohol feel like it lingers longer.

One reason for this is liver enzyme activity. The enzymes that help your liver process alcohol can become less efficient with age, and when hormones are fluctuating, alcohol clearance can take longer, which is why the effects can feel stronger.

These things can help you to support your body afterwards. Rehydrating, eating in a way that steadies energy, adding fibre, nutrients and polyphenols, and moving gently if it feels good. Lie down and rest if not!

A few festive drinks happened? Looking after yourself well the next day often makes all the difference.

Here are the convenience foods I’m leaning on this month. Yes, the aim is always more whole foods, but the reality is th...
01/12/2025

Here are the convenience foods I’m leaning on this month. Yes, the aim is always more whole foods, but the reality is that December is busy, energy is stretched and time disappears. When you still want to eat well, a bit of minimally processed, smart support can make a lot of difference.

These are my top picks that help you build balanced meals fast. Do you have other go-tos we could add to the list? Pop your suggestions in the comments.

This should help you to put meals together in minutes rather than sliding into all or nothing eating. Whole foods are brilliant, but so is practicality. There’s no gold star for doing everything the hard way in December.

25/11/2025

When you’ve got no time but still want something balanced, this is how I pull together a nutritious lunch bowl in under 2 minutes.

What I’ve got in this bowl…

1 cooked salmon fillet – or buy a hot smoked fillet
100g Cooked beetroot
120g Cooked vac packed quinoa
1 large sweet red pepper
A drizzle of dressing - this one is a pomegranate one I bought from Aldi

This is where the healthy convenience foods come into their own. Cooked beetroot, vac-packed quinoa, a bright crunchy pepper, your favourite dressing and either cooked chicken or salmon that you’ve prepped at the weekend or bought ready-cooked.

This comes in at around 520 calories, 36g protein and 10g fibre. You’re getting plant diversity and a heap of supportive nutrients including: nitrates for healthy blood pressure, vitamin C for immune support and omega 3 for inflammation. All in 2 minutes flat.

Want more ideas like this? Lemme know and I’ll keep them coming.

This isn’t an ad. My previous carousel about Aldi was SO popular and someone asked me to do a version because she doesn...
24/11/2025

This isn’t an ad. My previous carousel about Aldi was SO popular and someone asked me to do a version because she doesn’t have an Aldi nearby, so I went on the hunt, and here we are!

These are the staples that genuinely hold their own from a nutrition point of view. They’re good value, simple, and fit beautifully into a midlife-focused way of eating. Many of them also feature in my recipes and meal plans because they’re quick, nourishing and easy to use day to day. Lots of stand out products here - I came home with my hands full!

If you’ve found any other great wholefood staples let me know. I love seeing what you’re all discovering.

19/11/2025

Fat loss in midlife isn’t created by restriction. It’s created by balance.

Part of sustainable change is building a calm, steady internal environment that your metabolism can trust.

When you nourish your body consistently with the right mix of protein, fibre and healthy fats, your appetite starts to regulate itself. Energy steadies. Cravings ease. Stress hormones settle. It feels a bit like alchemy, but it’s simply your physiology moving back towards homeostasis.

Your metabolism wants balance, not extremes. Regular meals. Real food. Enough protein. Enough fibre. Enough rest. Gentle, consistent movement. This is what keeps your internal thermostat happy so your body can let go of what it doesn’t need.

The formula for fat loss in midlife isn’t a six-pack revolution, a detox or another punishing eating plan. It’s evidence-based nutrition, stress management, sleep hygiene and realistic movement. Simple habits repeated often.

No shame.
No self-punishment.
Just nourishment, trust and a body that feels supported rather than battled with.

If you focus on balance, and science backed nutrition your metabolism does the rest - in time.

I don’t tend to use specialist ingredients in my meal plans, and I think that is part of why they’re so popular – howeve...
17/11/2025

I don’t tend to use specialist ingredients in my meal plans, and I think that is part of why they’re so popular – however there are a few useful ingredients I use in my recipes and store cupboard guides, so here they are, along with why I use them.

These are the wholefood staples I tend to pick up online because the prices are good and the range is decent. I’ve shared the place I usually order from which is Buy Wholefoods Online, but you can find most of these in shops like Holland & Barrett too. It’s not an ad, just what I keep in my own kitchen and use for developing my recipes.

What do you regularly stock up on? If you’ve got any wholefoods you buy on repeat that others might find helpful, pop them in the comments so we can build a shared list.

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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.