Jovan Sage with Food in Mind

Jovan Sage:

with Food in Mind

JOVAN SAGE BRINGS HER EXPERIENCE AND PASSION FOR A MINDFUL CONNECTION TO FOOD TO READERS IN EVERY ISSUE. AN HERBALIST AND WELLNESS COACH, JOVAN HAS HER OWN LINE OF TEAS, BITTERS, KOMBUCHA AND MORE AVAILABLE THROUGH SAGE’S LARDER. SHE IS ALSO THE CO-OWNER AND RESIDENT FOOD ALCHEMIST OF THE FARMER AND THE LARDER IN BRUNSWICK.

Perfect: The Enemy of Good

Knowing what I know now, I would have been kinder to and more patient with myself on my food journey. Comparisons at the gym, one-size fits all nutrition, and a lack of understanding that if it wasn’t created in a day it won’t go away in a day dogged my health and wellness goals. As an herbalist and wellness coach, I get many of the same comments: “I know I don’t eat well; it’s so hard to eat better.” “I’m really trying to eat more veggies, I know it’s better for me.” “You must eat good all the time - I’m not sure I could do that!” “I just don’t have the discipline to eat healthy.”These are often said with a hint of shame, creating this energy of tongue in cheek self-abasement. Shame is rarely a good long-term motivator in any situation.

If you were to look at my Instagram or that of other health coaches, wellness experts or foodies, you are only getting snapshots of someone’s life. These are mere vignettes of how they exercise, what they eat or drink, and how they live their lives.

This is usually the highlight reel of someone’s day and the totality of someone’s life is often so different. For many people - myself included - those photos are often ways for us to encourage ourselves to eat better, to go on that hike, to really embody the health and wellness goals that we have for ourselves. Or on the flip side the pleasurable experiences like a big bowl of poutine on a trip to Canada, a glass of champagne and a chocolate croissant at the top of the Eiffel Tower, a celebratory slice of a New York cheesecake. Not the most healthy things that you would enjoy daily but could hit that sweet spot of comfort and pleasure.

Everyone is on their own journey with food, creating a relationship that goes beyond what the latest studies or nutritionists say. It all starts with clarity around how you want to feel and what your goals are regarding food. Are your goals to eat more veggies, to eat less meat or to eat better meat? Is your goal to not overeat or do you want to eat more? If your goal to eat more fresh raw veggies from your garden or eat heaping spoonfuls of fermented veggies with every meal?

Know that your goal is going to be different from her goal, which is different from their goal, which is different from his goal. That’s the beauty of food and creating opportunities to eat better, whatever better looks like for us as individuals.

I believe our relationship to food shouldn’t be one of deprivation perfection. If constant comparison and perfection is your goal you have already lost (and hopefully you don’t stay lost). There are so many opportunities to do better, each day an opportunity to choose differently, to get out of comparison and to be kinder to ourselves in the process. Also, to always find ways to enjoy the food that we eat.