163: Building a Supportive Motherhood Village and Nurturing Healthy Relationships with Food: A Conversation with Vanessa Silva

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In this week's episode of The Motherhood Village podcast, Vanessa Silva joins me to talk about nurturing a healthy relationship with food.

Vanessa Silva is founder and CEO of Culinary Artistas. Vanessa began cooking with her grandmother in Brazil., and as an introverted child, the kitchen was the first place in her life that she felt she belonged.

Cooking was a creative outlet, a means to get a bite of the tastiest treats first, and a place to get rewarded for her creativity. Her involvement with food took further dimensions after getting a bachelor's degree in food engineering and a master's in holistic nutrition.

First, she shares her book recommendation and the profound impact it had on her parenting journey. We also discuss the various individuals and resources that have been part of her motherhood village, shaping her perspective on how she raised her daughter as a single mother.

Vanessa opens up about the inspiration behind creating her own organization and the legacy she hopes to leave behind through her work. We delve into the valuable services she offers to parents and families.

In the latter part of the episode, we shift our focus to nutrition and parenting. Vanessa offers insights on how parents can help their children develop a healthy relationship with food and encourages getting kids involved in cooking from an early age. We explore the concept of shifting the mindset of food as a reward and she shares practical tips for busy moms who often feel overwhelmed with meal preparation.

When is the right time to introduce kids to the joys of cooking? We explore this question and discuss the importance of setting boundaries for kids in the kitchen, as well as the importance of building positive relationships with food for both parents and children.

Vanessa also reveals her personal strategies for releasing, resetting & recharging when motherhood becomes overwhelming.

Join us in this engaging and informative conversation as we navigate the complex and rewarding world of parenting, learning valuable insights from Vanessa's experiences and expertise as a chef.

We talk about:

[0:00] Intro [1:20] Vanessa’s book recommendation.  [2:35] Who and what has been a part of her motherhood village. [3:50] What inspired Vanessa to create her organization and what kind of legacy she hopes to leave behind. [8:55] The services she offers both in-person and virtually.  [10:05] How parents can help their children create a healthy relationship with food and get their kids involved with cooking early.  [15:35] Shifting the mindset of food as a reward. [16:50] Tips for busy moms who feel overwhelmed with meal prep.  [20:50] The best age to get kids involved with cooking. [25:00] Creating boundaries for kids in the kitchen. [27:40] What Vanessa does to release, reset & recharge.  [31:15] Building positive relationships with food.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Yoga of Eating: Transcending Diets + Dogma to Nourish the Natural Self

Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly

Connect with Vanessa:

https://www.instagram.com/culinaryartistas/ https://www.instagram.com/lavanvansf/ https://www.culinaryartistas.com/

Connect with Nicole 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.motherhood.village1/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The.Motherhood.Village1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolegcumberbatch/ Website: https://www.themotherhoodvillage.com/