Annie Clarke - Mind Body Bowl - Think, move and eat your way to a more balanced life

I began writing this book as a way of sharing simple recipes, but it evolved to include a lot more than food. I have learned so much, not only about myself but about all the amazing ways in which you can help yourself to feel good beyond the way you eat that it seemed only right to share a whole package of holistic well-being.

For me, the three pillars of health and happiness are the mind, the body and the food that you eat. All three must be in balance in order to find a truly sustainable and comfortable lifestyle. When you start to take responsibility for one of these areas – for example, paying attention to dietary habits – over time it becomes natural to expand this taking of responsibility into the rest of your life, too. When you begin to realize how much of a positive impact you can have on the way you feel, you want to promote that in other areas of your life. By contrast, if in trying to commit to new changes you end up losing yourself in any one of these areas, concentrating solely on that, you can find that your lifestyle becomes more challenging and you will no longer be able to maintain your newfound regime.

By drawing inspiration from the people, things and world around you, taking just the bits that suit you and leaving the rest out, without beating yourself up for going about things differently from someone else, you can find out what works for you. I really believe it isn’t about success or failure, but about celebrating your own individuality and creating conditions that allow you to be the best version of yourself. I found that as I focused on one of these areas (I’ll explain a bit more in the next section, but for me, a change in diet was really my starting point), my attitude towards other aspects of my life started to change, having a positive knock-on effect and driving me to create conditions for a truly healthy, happy lifestyle.

I have been, and continue to be, on a fascinating journey of self-discovery, learning a little more about myself every day. I have come to realize how powerful this knowledge is, and that it can really influence the many different parts of my life, allowing me to take decisions that nurture me. Most noticeably, I have learned to be kinder towards and more accepting of myself, something that so many of us find challenging. I still continue to learn and grow every day, and I hope that I will do so for ever. In the meantime, I want to share the power of this process and help guide you through all the confusing and conflicting information. I want to help you make sense of it all in a way that is manageable, that fits in with your life and allows you to really understand what it is that you need in order to find your own sense of balance.

Some of you might be reading this book because you are looking for a way to overcome a digestive disorder or low energy levels – or perhaps you’ve realized that you are not feeling as good as you would like. If this sounds familiar, then in many ways your motivation is probably already in place. You know why you are trying to make changes and can see how much your life could be improved if you can relieve yourself of whatever symptoms you are experiencing. However, when you try something and it doesn’t work out, it can be incredibly frustrating – I know that from my own experience. For you, persevering when you can’t find a quick fix may be challenging at times, but hopefully you will soon recognize the things that do and do not suit you.

Others of you perhaps might be a little curious, and even if you don’t have a specific cause for immediate change, you might simply be interested in learning more about yourself or how to live life to the fullest. For you, making changes to your lifestyle can be harder to commit to, but perhaps a little less frustrating.

‘Nothing about this book is intended to be prescriptive. The aim is to share with you a few ideas to help you work through your own journey, at a pace that suits you, in order to discover what makes you feel your absolute best.’

Alternatively, you may not fit in with either of those groups and maybe just picked this book up at random – if so, why not continue to flick through just a little longer and perhaps you’ll spot something you like the look of, or a sentence or two that resonate with you? Whoever you are, taking the time to focus on yourself is a really positive exercise that can help you to get the most out of life, and hopefully help you to learn and grow in ways you might not have known you could.

I would never want to tell anyone how to approach their own life, but as you go through this book I would urge you to be open-minded, to step outside your comfort zone and go with the flow. Trial and error can be incredibly frustrating, but for most of us quick fixes just don’t exist, especially if you are looking for long-term change. If you can find comfort in the idea that you are trying to do what is best for your mind and body, and that each day is a step towards figuring it all out, the whole process will become more manageable, no matter what setbacks you may face.

I hope this book serves as a guide for you. Nothing about it is intended to be prescriptive. The aim is to share a few ideas to help you work through your journey, at a pace that suits you. The most important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong, no pass or fail. This is all about you, learning about yourself and creating a life that allows you to feel your very best.

Another thing that I find so helpful to remember is that we are all insignificant. I mean this in the best possible way. Every time you face a problem that feels totally terrifying, take a step back and know that as much as you may think your actions will completely rock the world, they truly won’t. Each of us, alone, is insignificant, but together we are a powerful force. Let’s create individual consciousness on a large scale. Let’s play, learn, grow and inspire the people around us. And most importantly, let’s find ourselves, and learn to enjoy each moment, because nothing in life is permanent.

I want to show you how to fall in love with taking care of yourself – to help you navigate through the processes of connecting with yourself, and opening the door for you to walk through in order to find your own true balance.

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