“Listen To Your Cues”: A Conversation with Mai Soli Ambassador, Dr. Anika Rouf”
The new year may bring trepidation as we are bombarded with productivity hacks, lifestyle aesthetics and a “hustle, hustle, hustle” mentality. In the wake of new year’s resolutions, people set their alarms for 6am, pack a protein shake at 7am, and stock their fridges with pure greens. It is tempting to get caught up in the energy of it all, and to believe that if you do not commit to these habits — then, you are a failure.
The Mai Soli Foundation embraces the wellbeing of its people. Our curriculum encourages our mentors to teach mindfulness to the young girls in our schools, and we are proud to say that Dr Anika Rouf (@appetitebyanika) is one of our brand ambassadors.
The highly-knowledgeable dietician sat down with us to offer her views on navigating the stresses of life itself. Her story is as different as all women in STEM. This is because she followed her passion for cooking & believed that mixing her passions & her interests would lead to success. Anika’s approach to nutritional science is unique and some may be amazed that such a vocation exists. She loved the qualitative aspect of learning each individual’s enablers and barriers to healthy habits. It is true that there is no one size fits all approach to confidence and feeling confident about yourself. This is a viewpoint that Anika sought to bring to the forefront of nutritional medicine.
Having a restrictive diet culture may have a negative impact on us, as many people feel the pressure of the “ideal body” and the “ideal diet”. The “taking care of ourselves” element becomes meaningless. We become depressed and uninspired. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to nutrition or habits. We live in a constant state of change, and in that state of change, trends change as well. One day, a certain food type is touted as the key to the perfect body and the next day, it’s gone.
Many people give up before they’ve even begun because of the rapid changes in trends and, especially, those who don’t adhere to the idealized beauty standards. They lose enjoyment of a positive way of living since it may involve following restrictive diets.
“I wanted to create an approach that was “forgiving” and bring joy & peace back into their lives through the love of food.”
As the holiday season has ended, and you are feeling the pressure to work at a punishing pace to be the “new you” — we asked Anika for her expertise on how to infuse energy and freshness into our lifestyle & wellbeing.
Take it easy — When creating something brand-new, it is very tempting to “go hard or go home”. It is not sustainable, and if you feel yourself slipping, the cycle of punishing negative self-talk may kick in and your wellbeing may suffer. A cycle of punishing negative self-talk may begin and your wellbeing may suffer. How can you take it easy?
“Add some color to your plates. People have been led to believe that your health will suffer significantly if you don’t have superfood on your plates every day. That’s not the case. Rather than cutting entire food groups, which can be dangerous, add a handful of extra vegetables to your meals.”
Find a style that works for you — Plan ahead when it comes to your meal preferences and adapt recipes to suit your taste buds. Cooking at home can increase your mindfulness practice and give you more control over what you eat.
Listen to your cues — Anika practices the art of intuitive eating. Listening to your body cues and hunger triggers is intuitive eating. You shouldn’t overindulge or under indulge. It is difficult to do this since many of us have grown accustomed to external pressures of eating habits (e.g., friends, families, relatives). However, the principle is to not punish yourself. Listening to your body will give you the ability to eat food with no regret or shame. This principle can also be applied to other mindfulness practices such as meditation or exercise. If you listen to what feels right, you will maintain your healthier habits.
The Mai Soli Foundation teaches our young girls the importance of confidence and how they can create their own stance on it in a similar vein. Anika teaches her clients how to relearn their internal cues and overcome food cravings & fears. When you listen to your internal cues and take proactive action, the transformation can do wonders for your health.
Using mindfulness meditation practices taught by our mentors, we show our young girls ways to combat negative self-talk. At the Mai Soli Foundation, we teach our young girls that their worth is not defined by beauty standards. Our curriculum focuses on collaboration, so both mentors and young girls learn how to reject comparisons to others and embrace companionship with others.
The possibilities of creating a healthier, happier life are endless when you recognize and accept how you are unique. This is because your habits are different and you have intuitive body cues that are different.
It’s not a “new year, new you”.
It’s a “new year, unique you.”
