Motivation Through Food

“I found myself listless and enormously anxious, slogging away at a corporate job that I didn’t enjoy. I also became disillusioned with the social routine of late nights and hungover, greasy brunches, which seemed to get so many people through the workweek.” -Laura Lea

10 years ago, the life of Laura Lea, a newly graduated English Lit. student from the University of Virginia, who just moved to the Big Apple, consisted of mind-numbing routine. In the process her shiny, simple view of life deteriorated and anxiety built up, as she got accustomed to the life of the typical New York workaholic. Her situation often led her to eat alone, and, dreading requesting for a table for one, she resorted to cooking.

Laura, from living with her family in Nashville was accustomed to cozy home-made meals, therefore, in an attempt to occupy herself, she took up cooking. So, with a tight budget, her visits to farmers markets became more frequent. She began with a focus on vegetables, and accounted for proteins and fats through beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, as although she is not vegetarian, she was fascinated with plant-based foods. The change in diet did not only affect her energy levels but significantly decreased her anxiety, allowing her to regain her old outlook on life. As her passion grew, she began attending the Natural Gourmet Institute, a culinary school with a focus on health-supportive cooking, and graduated in 2013.

Today, Laura is known as a Certified Holistic chef, recipe developer and writer. She is an avid blogger, as her website covers topics not only of food but her skin care, closet and home. She has also published her first cookbook, The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook.

Laura Lea thus changed her life through her passion for food and her discipline to improve.