• Bio

Ash Archambeau

Ash Archambeau is Kitchen Koach LA, helping you and your kitchen get along! As a cancer survivor Ash improved the functioning and healing of her body through diet and lifestyle changes. With that spirit in mind, KKLA can help anyone interested in making change in their lives- particularly in their kitchens. Along with helping individual clients and writing for Body Temple LA, she recently went to the final callbacks for Food Network's reality series "The Next Food Network Star". Currently she's taking on new clientele working with a non profit in East LA helping lower income families integrate healthy eating into their homes. For more info on how Kitchen Koach LA can help you check out www.KitchenKoachLA.com.

YOUR MOTHER WAS RIGHT:  SLOW DOWN. 

I’m tired of hearing how no one has time to eat a healthy meal or sit down in this country. Honestly, it’s a farce because those thoughts are just THOUGHTS. You always have the power to not let your mind control you because tthe real you is the SILENCE BEHIND IT ALL.  

Instead of surfing Facebook, making three calls, and texting your dog walker during your lunch break, go sit outside or in a quiet room and just BE with yourself, your food, and your environment. People are honestly so scared to slow down because if they do they might actually have to face that fearful voice in their head saying they’re not being productive, likable, professional, or efficient. Stop listening to that mind, and just sit down.  

If this idea of sitting down and taking time causes major resistance in the pit of your stomach, then here’s what I have for you: 

* FIrst when you sit down just feel the feeling inside of wanting to rush. Just by observation of the feeling you start to diminish its effects on you. The longer you "feel the feeling" it will diminish, or if you really stick with it it will collapse and then a peaceful energy will come and replace it. Seriously, it sounds simple, and it is, simple and powerful. So DO IT 🙂 

Below are some more practical tasks you can do to help you slow down, but the first choice of awareness if the best choice you can make in the fight against stress, rushing, anxiety, and worry.

PREPARATION: 

– Make a menu for the week. Know exactly what things you need to make breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks– and STOCK your pantry, countertops, and fridge with these items. 

– Create a roadmap or schedule of tasks you need to do every day (or many tasks on one day) to set yourself up for fresh food and time efficient success. 

Ex: If you know Tuesday and Wednesday you work in the evenings and have no time to make anything to take on the go, then make sure you save left overs from Monday night, make a power smoothie in five minutes with your blender, or pre cut veggies/fixins for a salad earlier on in that day so you can throw it all together before you walk out the door. Also, to help you manage time while you do preparations for snacks, write down the task, then next to it write the time you want it to take.  Ex: cook quinoa and store to keep in fridge for the week (20 minutes.) 

– Always have a healthy snack hanging out in your car, gym bag, diaper bag, briefcase, etc. so you have no excuse to be starving or waste time standing in line at a Starbucks for a pre packaged over priced snack.  I recommend SAVI SEED brand sacha inchi seeds (you can find them at lassens and erewhon), or raw almonds with dried apricots, rye crackers, or flax crackers. I also highly recommend having a glass or BPA free water bottle in your house AND in your car. (You can find CHEAP and LOVELY glass water bottles at WORLD MARKET.) 

– Force yourself to sit down for at least 10-15 minutes when you eat. Even if it means pulling over to the side of the road. Your digestion will be better, your mind will be calmer, and honestly, your food will taste better because you will actually taste it and not just be shoveling it in. 

– Take a moment to be grateful for your food. If you like say a blessing, thank mother earth, thank God, or just say ‘thanks food and thanks body."

– Chew that food up! A chinese zen master said the key to his long life was grace, calming the mind, and chewing his food until it was like mush!