1. Finding Inspiration in Personal Experience:

• Identify a Problem: Mili Kumar and her co-founder Jenny Matheson saw a gap in the market for delicious, allergen-friendly desserts. Both having had personal experiences with food restrictions, they aimed to create joyful moments for those unable to enjoy conventional treats.
• Connect Over Common Goals: Their shared discomfort at social events kickstarted the dream to craft an inclusive dessert, leading to the birth of Eat Kinda during a Dragon’s Den style business pitch.

2. Leveraging Unique Ingredients for Innovation:

• Choose Ingredients Wisely: The choice of cauliflower was driven not just by texture and taste but also sustainability, using it to create an experience akin to dairy without the downsides.
• Transparency in Production: Though the production process remains part of their intellectual property, it follows stringent safety standards, offering reassurance about the integrity of the product.

3. Consumer and Market Validation:

• Start Small, Dream Big: Eat Kinda initially tested their product in New Zealand’s market through a pizza chain, quickly selling out and proving demand through blind taste tests and social media feedback.

there’s been a lot of trial and error and R&D work that’s been done to create the product that we have today. Once we started going viral on social media during our launch in New Zealand, that’s what actually motivated us to bring it to the US, because we validated product market fit.

• Strategic Scaling: Following local success, Mili and Jenny took their brand stateside, conducting grassroots marketing efforts in Los Angeles to gauge the U.S. response, revealing significant potential.

4. Embracing Sustainability and Upcycling:

• Prioritize Sustainability: Eat Kinda champions using cauliflower effectively by working with farms to utilize produce that would otherwise be wasted due to aesthetic imperfections.
• Collaborate for Greater Impact: Mili acknowledges the challenges of scaling sustainably in the U.S. but remains focused on building a responsible supply chain with local growers.

5. Shattering Conventional Entrepreneurship Norms:

Especially as a woman founder and a form- founder of color, I think there’s a lack of representation.

• Diverse Leadership: With a diverse team in terms of age and background, Mili and Jenny illustrate that success doesn’t require adherence to traditional founder archetypes—it thrives on passion and purpose.

So we wanna show, yeah, we’re very different co-founders, but that’s fine, and you can also find a problem and solve it, and build a, hopefully, global business. And so that’s a personal motivation for me and Jenny. And hopefully, you know, through scaling Eatkinda, we’d be able to show that amazing things can be done.

• Global Aspirations: Their journey from university halls to global ambition showcases the power of determination, community support, and the willingness to take calculated risks.

Bottom Line

Mili Kumar’s journey with Eat Kinda is a compelling tale of culinary creativity rooted in personal experience and global vision. Check out the full story on the 9 to 5 Wellness podcast.

This post was originally a 9 to 5 wellness podcast and was posted on aeshatahir.com

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You hit snooze.

You hit snooze again.

Finally you can no longer snooze, so you decide to get out of bed.

You pick up your phone and what do you see?

An email from your boss; that the project you were working on has a new deliverable and it’s due tonight.

If this series of events sounds like you, you’re not alone.

Mornings often feel like a frantic race against the clock from the second your alarm rings. 

Between checking emails and rushing out the door, it’s easy to let stress become your default setting before the day has even truly begun. 

However, the simple habits you prioritize in those early hours dictate your energy and focus for everything that follows.

Start your day with these three simple healthy habits to boost energy and focus. These habits take less than two minutes to incorporate into your existing routine but will ground you for the next 12 hours.

Hydrate Before you Dehydrate

Your body is dehydrated after 7–8 hours of sleep, Your body loses fluid overnight, which can cause fatigue and hunger. Before you reach for coffee or breakfast, start your morning with a glass of water. Hydrate before you dehydrate. I keep a glass of water on my night stand and drink it first thing in the morning. Even a single glass can help rehydrate your brain, helping you shake off “brain fog” and improve mental clarity for those early meetings. And that’s not all it also, jumpstarts your metabolism and aids digestion, preparing your system to absorb nutrients throughout the day.

Move It

Start your day with a two minutes of gentle stretching, yoga, or a quick walk to release stiffness from sleeping. You don’t need a grueling 5:00 AM gym session to see results. Although, if you like that you can go for it. But two minutes of stretching will increase the blood flow, deliver fresh oxygen to your muscles and brain, improve your posture and reduce stiffness. 

Eat Your Protein First Thing

90% of my patients skip breakfast. Starting your day with fuel like protein and good fats sets you up for success. Skipping breakfast is one of the most unhealthy habits. Research suggests that skipping breakfast is associated with a higher risk of weight gain and obesity, because of increased hunger later in the day. And if you think about it, it makes sense; you’re depriving your body of essential fuel. Eat protein like yogurt or eggs paired with nuts early in the day rather than sugary foods like bread and muffins. Foods rich in Protein and Fiber slows digestion and keeps blood sugar stable. Unlike sugary pastries that cause a quick spike and crash, complex carbohydrates (like oats) provide a slow release of fuel to power you through to lunch. Plus, feeding your brain early ensures you have the glucose necessary for high-level decision-making and concentration.

Change starts small. Transforming your health doesn’t require a complete lifestyle overhaul—it starts with tiny, intentional shifts in the first 10 minutes of your day. Hydrate, move, and nourish your body first thing, and you’ll be on your way to a peak performing day everyday.

The post 3 Healthy Ways to Kickstart Your Mornings 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

In my experience, New Years’ goal setting isn’t for a complete 360 on your life. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s behavior and make positive behavior changes in the coming year. This year, I am focusing on making small behavior changes towards a big goal in a particular area of my life. According to Psychology Today, this approach will make the resolutions more realistic and easier to sprinkle throughout the year. Here are a few tips to keep your new year’s resolutions.

Dream Big- Big audacious goals are motivating. Don’t shy away from big goals. The key is to focus on one or two big goals in a year and particular areas of your life. For example, set a big goal for your health like training for a marathon or triathlon and a big goal for your financial future to have a certain amount of savings by year-end. Both these goals are specific and aim at two significant areas in your life. Ambitious goals are not only good for you, but they will inspire others around you. You might end up building a big support group of people who want to see you win.

Think Small- Now think small. The big dream will have to be broken down into small steps. Small steps will keep the big dream manageable without overwhelming you. Start with foolproof measures like for marathon running it could be just walking 10 minutes every day, buying a pair of running shoes, and creating a playlist for running. I love making lists of steps to do. Lists of steps, starting with the most doable ones, will give you the confidence to continue. 

Commit Yourself – Accountability is the single most crucial incentive for action. I like to keep myself accountable by entering a contract with myself and sticking the signed contract on my vanity’s mirror. You can get a family member involved to hold you responsible for your goal. There are many ways to create a commitment device. Stickk is one such platform. You can create your goal, assign it a timeline and a penalty. Another way is to pledge your resolution on social media and share your journey throughout the year.

One Step at a Time- Trying to conquer all the steps on your checklist simultaneously is going to be daunting. Soon you will lose motivation and fall back on old habitual patterns. An easy way to get to the big dream is to focus on one small step at a time. A small habit change will lead to a bigger change over time. 

Celebrate Small Wins- Don’t wait to celebrate till you’ve crossed the finish line. Behavior changes are progressive.  Encourage yourself to keep at it by observing a win each time you complete a step. Every small step in this long journey counts. For example, schedule some ME time or get a manicure for logging in 5 miles the first time.

Team Effort Counts- Share your goals with friends and family members. Ask them for support and make them part of your team. Often, we fail because our environment, which our family and friends dictate, isn’t conducive to keeping our resolutions. When you ask your circle of people for help, you make them part of the goal. Tell them precisely what help looks like to achieve your goal. If you can’t get help from your immediate circle, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists understand the connection between the mind and body and can recommend helpful strategies to achieve your goals. 

Offer Thanks- Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good. Any amount of progress is better than none. Sometimes you might even go backward. It’s okay! Please don’t beat yourself up for it. If your goal is a 40-minute workout, but you only squeezed in 10-minutes, be grateful for the 10 minutes. You showed up, and that counts. Practicing gratitude will acknowledge that you are giving it your best. In the long run, that’s what matters.

Dream big, think small, take one step at a time, and practicing gratitude will help you keep your new year’s resolutions way past the first few weeks of January.

The post Keeping New Year’s Resolutions 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

I like to include the accomplishments, wins, and losses that served as a learning experience. All the events have an impact on us. 

• First, I like to be grateful for where I am. 
• Second, I look back on the past year’s events in wonder and awe. It’s hard to believe how far I have come this year with my running and business goals. 
• Third, I look to see how I can improve my future by taking unnecessary things from my schedule and improving my current activities. 

Why Reflect on Last Year?

Last year is gone. Right! It is past now. You cannot bring this time back and can’t use an eraser to undo the mistakes.

At the most basic definition, reflection is a careful thought. But the valuable kind of reflection involves the deliberate analysis of one’s beliefs and actions for learning. Reflection allows us to slow down, pause and sort through past experiences.

Reflecting on last year, you can learn important lessons and recognize behavior patterns. Listing previous year’s events allow us to identify the patterns in our reactions and will help us to enhance performance in the new year. Reflections serve as self-feedback for the last year. I recommend reflecting on the past year because it acts as a tool to improve your performance in the new year radically.

There is a paradox in life for faster improvement. To have a more significant impact in the future, we need to slow down and reflect on the past.

Reflect and Plan

Select your own reflection process. I like to write in a journal. If you don’t like journaling, that’s okay. Consider talking to a close friend, and going over the last year is a great way to reflect. You can use your friend’s feedback as well.

To help you reflect on your year, I have put together some questions and resources that can help you.

I like to put my last year’s events into three categories:

Successful – had a tremendous impact

Redundant –can be left behind

Developing – needs improvement

Questions to Ask

Here are some of my favorite questions for reflecting on last year:

• What accomplishments are you proud of this year?
• What significant life events or transitions did you go through this year?
• How did you take care of yourself this year? Mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally.
• What disappointed you this past year?
• What have you overcome this year?
• What are you most grateful for in the last year? 
• What mistakes are you still holding onto from the past year?
• What challenges do you still need to conquer?
• If you could change one thing in the last year, what would it be?
• What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the past year?

So, grab a warm cup of tea and a paper to look at last year’s reflections, so that next year’s image projection is bright.

The post Looking in Last Year’s Mirror 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

It’s a gentle yoga flow for all fitness levels to give you energy and help you focus throughout your day.  You will gain strength and flexibility in your muscles while having a strong mind-body connection.  Each class will combine a balanced series of poses with a focus on opening up one of several potential areas of tightness, such as your hamstrings, hips, shoulders, or neck.  A selection of restorative poses will support your body with props, so the muscles, fascia and nervous system can take a break from the daily grind.  

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga Mat and two blocks required for this class *

The post Vinyasa Yoga – Dec 20th, 2021 – Jan 10th, 2022 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga Mat and two blocks required for this class *

The post Vinyasa Yoga 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Great for guys too! Please bring a yoga mat and towel.

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga Mat, resistance band, and two medium/heavy dumbbells are suggested$ for this class *

The post FREE 20/20/10 Cardio Strength & Core – Virtual Class 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Great for guys too! Please bring a yoga mat and towel.

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga Mat, resistance band, and two medium/heavy dumbbells are suggested$ for this class *

The post FREE 20/20/10 Cardio Strength & Core – Virtual Class 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

This 60-minute class will open with a short meditation, move through seated warm-ups, and progress to standing poses using the back of the chair for balance.   Debbie will offer variations and options throughout the practice so that you can tailor your experience to meet the needs of your mind, body, and soul. Feel both soothed and energized with this accessible yoga practice.

Set up your device and have a seat!  

Debbie’s teaching is passionate, respectful of individual bodies, attentive to alignment, and characterized by thematic flows. Delivered with compassion and humor, her teaching is designed to leave the practitioner feeling inspired and empowered. Debbie completed her yoga teacher training in March 2019. Debbie has been practicing yoga since 1994. She is constantly inspired by the power of yoga to strengthen, heal, and reawaken the awareness of the miraculous sweetness of life. She likes to share this power of Yoga with her students through her teaching.

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*An upright chair like a kitchen chair or a stable folding chair is recommended for this class*

The post FREE Chair Yoga – Virtual Class 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

This 60-minute class will open with a short meditation, move through seated warm-ups, and progress to standing poses using the back of the chair for balance.   Debbie will offer variations and options throughout the practice so that you can tailor your experience to meet the needs of your mind, body, and soul. Feel both soothed and energized with this accessible yoga practice.

Set up your device and have a seat!  

Debbie’s teaching is passionate, respectful of individual bodies, attentive to alignment, and characterized by thematic flows. Delivered with compassion and humor, her teaching is designed to leave the practitioner feeling inspired and empowered. Debbie completed her yoga teacher training in March 2019. Debbie has been practicing yoga since 1994. She is constantly inspired by the power of yoga to strengthen, heal, and reawaken the awareness of the miraculous sweetness of life. She likes to share this power of Yoga with her students through her teaching.

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*An upright chair like a kitchen chair or a stable folding chair is recommended for this class*

The post FREE Chair Yoga – Virtual Class 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.