Most people try to change their lives by changing their goals.

I’ve found it’s far more effective to change your environment.

Before I guide a certification.

Before I coach a client.

Before I step into a new season of leadership.

I reset my kitchen.

Because the kitchen isn’t just where food is prepared.

It’s where standards are practiced.

It’s where regulation is reinforced.

It’s where discipline becomes devotion.

The way you run your kitchen is often the way you run your nervous system.

And the way you run your nervous system determines how you lead.

For me, the kitchen is the heart of the home — not just emotionally, but energetically. I love gathering friends and family, cooking something vibrant and plant-forward while we talk about our lives. But I don’t always love the clutter before or the cleanup after.

That’s why I created a simple, intentional kitchen reset.

Not a perfectionist overhaul.

Not a Pinterest makeover.

A loving recalibration of the space so it supports how I want to feel.

Clear.

Grounded.

Prepared.

At ease.

Here is the exact reset I use personally and inside my community.

1. Clear + Clean (Reset the Energy First)

Open a window. Let the air move.

Play music that uplifts you. Fill a large bottle of water. Hydrate while you work.

Then clear every visible surface.

Wipe down counters, cabinet handles, appliances, and the inside of your refrigerator with a gentle, non-toxic cleaner like Branch Basics. This is more than sanitizing — it’s clearing energetic residue.

Toss:

• Expired foods
  
  
• Questionable sauces
  
  
• Anything you keep “just in case” but never actually use
  
  

Group what remains by category so you can see it at a glance.

Clutter in the kitchen often mirrors clutter in the mind. When we clear our space, we reduce background stress we didn’t even realize we were carrying.

Donate unopened items you won’t eat. Recycle bulky packaging. Create breathing room.

A reset begins with honesty.

2. Equip Your Space (Your Tools Reflect Your Standards)

Healthy cooking becomes effortless when your tools support you.

Leadership works the same way.

When your environment is aligned, your nervous system relaxes. When your nervous system relaxes, you make clearer decisions. Clear decisions create grounded leadership.

These are the foundational tools I personally use and recommend:

• A sharp chef's knife (dull blades create tension)
  
  
• A sturdy cutting board (marble or wood)
  
  
• Vegetable peeler
  
  
• Large mixing bowl
  
  
• Salad spinner
  
  
• Cast iron skillet
  
  
• Stainless steel or ceramic-coated non-toxic pans
  
  
• Glass pot or enamel-coated pots
  
  
• High-performance blender
  
  
• High-Powered Juicer
  
  
• Glass storage containers with lids
  
  

If you prepare smoothies regularly — especially heavy metal detox blends — a strong blender makes a noticeable difference. Texture affects experience. Experience affects consistency.

If celery juice is part of your morning practice, a juicer turns it from a chore into a ritual.

And one upgrade I deeply believe in: non-toxic cookware.

We’re intentional about what we put into our bodies. Our cookware should reflect that same awareness.

Create a designated prep zone. Keep your knife, board, peeler, and bowl together. When everything has a home, healthy choices require less effort.

Ease builds consistency.

3. Stock the Essentials (Make Nourishment the Default)

I focus on plant-forward staples that mix and match easily.

Fresh Produce

Leafy greens, broccoli or cauliflower, onion and garlic, fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley, lemons and limes, avocados, berries, bananas, sweet potatoes.

Plant Proteins

 Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, tofu or tempeh if you use them.

Whole Grains

Quinoa, oats, brown rice.

Healthy Fats

Tahini, almond or peanut butter, olive oil, coconut milk.

Flavor Builders

Sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, chili flakes, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, low-sodium tamari or coconut aminos.

Detox Supports

Celery for morning juice. Wild blueberries, spirulina, barley grass juice powder, Atlantic dulse, and cilantro for a heavy metal detox smoothie.

Teas + Tonics

Lemon balm, chamomile or raspberry leaf, dandelion/milk thistle blends for gentle liver support.

When these staples are stocked, meals assemble themselves.

Decision fatigue drains leadership energy. When healthy options are visible and accessible, you preserve your power for what truly matters.

4. The Meal-Prep Power Hour

You don’t need an entire Sunday.

One intentional hour shifts your entire week.

• Wash, dry, and chop a rainbow of vegetables. Store them in clear glass containers.
  
  
• Cook one or two proteins (a pot of lentils or sheet-pan chickpeas).
  
  
• Cook one grain (quinoa or brown rice).
  
  
• Make one sauce or dressing (tahini-lemon-garlic or herb vinaigrette).
  
  
• Prepare smoothie packs for the freezer (add powders fresh).
  
  
• Brew a pitcher of non-caffeinated tea.
  

This isn’t about rigidity.

It’s about reducing friction.

When nourishment is prepared, it becomes inevitable.

5. Organize for Flow

Create a fridge map.

Eye level: ready-to-eat bowls, salads, cut fruit, hummus.

Left side: proteins and grains.

Drawer: greens and herbs wrapped in a dry towel to stay crisp.

Pantry zones:

Grains together. Beans together. Nuts and seeds in one place. Spices up front.

Label and date containers.

Clarity reduces waste — and stress.

6. Low-EMF, Low-Stress Habits

Move small appliances off the main counter when not in use.

Keep your phone away from the kitchen during meals. Let cooking and eating be present experiences.

Add one grounding element:

A small plant.

A candle.

A handwritten card that says, “Bless this food.”

Presence supports digestion.

Presence supports regulation.

Regulation supports leadership.

7. Five-Minute Daily Maintenance

After each meal:

Wipe counters.

Rinse the sink.

Scan the fridge for what needs to be eaten tomorrow.

Set out your knife, board, and bowl for a head start.

At night, place a lemon and a clean glass on the counter to greet your morning self.

Small acts of preparation reduce morning stress.

Prepared environments create prepared minds.

A Simple Reset Menu

Morning: Celery juice or warm lemon water, followed by a heavy metal detox smoothie.

Lunch: Quinoa bowl with greens, chickpeas, steamed broccoli, and tahini-lemon drizzle.

Snack: Apple with almond butter or carrots with hummus.

Dinner: Stuffed sweet potato with lentils and sautéed kale. Or a large rainbow salad with beans and herb dressing.

Evening: Dandelion-milk thistle tea or lemon balm to wind down.

Clear.

Equip.

Stock.

Prep.

Place your healthiest choices at eye level so they become the easiest choices.

The Kitchen Is a Leadership Practice

Most people think leadership begins on stages, in studios or in front of an audience.

I believe it begins at home.

In the quiet choices no one sees.

In whether you nourish yourself before nourishing others.

In whether your environment supports your nervous system.

In whether your habits align with your values.

Embodiment isn’t something you turn on when you teach.

It’s how you chop vegetables.

How you rinse your sink.

How you prepare for tomorrow before you go to sleep.

When your kitchen becomes a sanctuary, your body softens.

When your body softens, your intuition sharpens.

When your intuition sharpens, your leadership deepens.

Reset your kitchen.

Reset your energy.

Raise your standard quietly.

The women who build movements don’t wait for perfect conditions.

They create them.

 Photos by Ron Hill