Monthly Reflections

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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in August 2026.

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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in July 2026.

Want next month’s insight delivered straight to your inbox before it appears here? Join the Newsletter →

Dear friends,

After exploring last month how understanding your body’s signals can make consistency easier to maintain, it is worth looking at another important piece of the same puzzle.

For many people, the challenge is not only about learning to read those internal cues, but also about understanding the environment that surrounds them.

We often think of change as something that comes from within—a matter of discipline or willpower. In reality, our environment plays a far greater role than we tend to recognise. Our choices are not made in isolation; they are shaped, often quietly, by what is around us: what is visible, what is available, and importantly, who we are surrounded by.

The conversations we hear, the habits of those close to us, and the expectations in our social circles all influence our behaviour. Over time, repeated exposure to these patterns can begin to feel familiar, and eventually, they become our norm.

In my work, I see this often. Two people may have the same knowledge and intentions, yet their outcomes can look very different depending on the environment they are navigating. This influence is not only psychological; there is also a biological basis for it.

During an interview I conducted with food addiction specialist Dr Joan Ifland, she explained that the brain is wired to observe and copy the behaviour of others. Specialised cells, often referred to as mirror neurons, activate in response to what we see, almost as if we are experiencing those actions ourselves.

In simple terms, we are more likely to do what we are repeatedly exposed to. This is why surrounding yourself with people who support your goals, or even regularly exposing yourself to healthier patterns, can begin to shift behaviour in a way that feels surprisingly natural.

This principle extends directly into the physical spaces we move through each day. Think about your immediate environment: what you keep in your kitchen, what is left out on the counter, and what is within easy reach when you are tired or distracted. These small details shape behaviour more than we realise. If your environment constantly requires you to resist or make decisions, it becomes difficult to sustain, no matter how strong your intentions are.

Sometimes, the most effective changes are also the simplest. You might consider starting here:
• Keep foods that support your health visible and easily accessible.
• Reduce the presence of foods that lead to mindless or emotional eating.
• Create small routines that reduce the need for constant decision-making.

Over time, these small shifts make consistency feel far more natural because the environment begins to support your choices rather than work against them. The same principle applies when you are away from home. A different setting does not have to mean a loss of control; it simply calls for awareness, and a willingness to make choices that align with how you want to feel.

The social environment matters just as much. Comparison, external opinions, and unnecessary criticism can quietly undermine even the most dedicated efforts. Effort on its own does not need to be judged against someone else’s numbers or expectations. Creating a supportive environment often means being more selective about what, and who, you allow to influence you.

When the environment is no longer working against you, consistency becomes far less of a struggle. It is not about removing every challenge, but about reducing the unnecessary ones so that change feels sustainable.

And if this is something you have been navigating, please know you are not alone.

Let this be something to reflect on this month. Not just what you are doing, but what around you is shaping those actions.

Warm wishes,

Nayiri
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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in June 2026.

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Dear friends,

After speaking about consistency last month, it may be worth exploring why, for many people, staying consistent feels so difficult to maintain.

It is rarely a lack of knowledge. Most people know what they “should” be doing. And yet, staying consistent often feels like an ongoing struggle.

Part of the reason for this is that the signals we respond to are not always what they seem.

This idea of understanding signals and lived experience is something I’ll also be exploring in a new series this month, Type 1 Diabetics Talk: Young Voices, where young people share real stories and offer a different kind of insight into daily life with Type 1.

When it comes to these signals, in many cases, what we experience as hunger is not true hunger at all. It is something else the body is signalling, but that we may not yet recognise clearly.

Sometimes, it is as simple as thirst. Many of us go through the day slightly dehydrated, and the body can present this as hunger. What feels like a need for food may, in fact, be a need for water.

At other times, it may be a sign of nutrient deficiency. When the body is not receiving the nutrients it needs, it continues to signal for more food, not because more calories are required, but because nourishment is still missing. This is why someone can eat frequently throughout the day and still feel unsatisfied.

There is also the role of habit and conditioning. Eating can become something we do out of routine or environment, rather than physical need. For example, eating in the evening while watching television, not out of hunger, but because it has become part of the routine. Or eating at the cinema, not because of hunger, but because the setting itself has created that expectation over time.

Boredom can be another powerful driver. A few quiet moments at home, which could be used for rest or relaxation, can easily turn into a walk to the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking for something to eat without real hunger. In these moments, the body is not asking for food, but the mind is seeking stimulation or distraction.

In my work, I often see that introducing alternative responses can be helpful. Simple activities such as going for a short walk, engaging in a hobby, or even something repetitive and calming like crocheting can gently shift the focus away from food. For some, breathing exercises can also help create a pause, allowing the moment to pass without automatically turning to eating.

And for many, there is a level of dependency on carbohydrates for energy. When the body relies heavily on carbohydrates, blood sugar levels tend to rise and fall more rapidly. As levels drop, hunger, cravings, and discomfort can follow, creating a cycle that makes it very difficult to go for long without eating.

In addition to this physiological cycle, there may also be an element of addiction — whether to sugar, to specific foods, or even to the volume of food itself — all of which can further reinforce these patterns.

When these underlying factors are at play, consistency becomes difficult not because of a lack of discipline, but because the signals we are responding to are misunderstood.

With awareness, these patterns begin to make more sense. And with understanding comes the ability to respond more calmly and more intentionally.

This is often where having the right structure and support can make a meaningful difference.

If you find yourself struggling to stay consistent, it may be worth gently asking: Am I truly hungry, or am I responding to something else?

Warm wishes,

Nayiri
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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in May 2026.

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Dear friends,

Changing habits that have lasted a lifetime is never simple and rarely happens overnight.

What we eat is not simply a matter of knowledge or choice. Over time, food becomes part of our routine, our environment, and often our memories. Certain meals are tied to comfort, to family, to moments that feel familiar and safe.

When we begin to change the way we eat, we are not just changing food. We are, in many ways, changing patterns that have been with us for years. It is no surprise, then, that people often find this process more difficult than expected.

One of the most common challenges I see is not a lack of knowledge, nor even a lack of intention. It is the belief that change must be perfect and instant to be effective.

But meaningful change rarely happens overnight. It is built gradually, through repeated choices over time, through falls and rises, through failures and lessons learnt.

Persistence and consistency are key to success. They create familiarity and predictability, and as humans, that is where we begin to feel safe. When something feels familiar and safe, it becomes a routine that shapes long-term outcomes.

This is often where having the right structure and support can make a meaningful difference.

In my work, the clients who do well are not those who get everything right from the beginning. They are the ones who persist, even when things are not perfect. They allow for the reality of life, without losing direction, and they come back to their routine without turning a small deviation into a full stop.

People often become stuck after a single off-plan meal. They feel disappointed, yet unable to restart. What begins as one small deviation can easily turn into several, not because the plan has failed, but because the mindset has shifted from consistency to all-or-nothing.

Progress does not require perfection. It requires a willingness to continue, even when things feel imperfect.

Learning to view food differently, to build new habits, and to navigate challenges along the way is a process. While information is widely available, applying it consistently in real life is where most people begin to benefit from guidance, structure, and support.

Over time, with the right support, what once felt unfamiliar begins to feel natural. What once required effort becomes part of routine.

And that is where real change happens.

If you are working towards improving your health and find yourself starting and stopping, it may be worth gently asking:

Am I chasing perfection or am I building consistency?

Warm wishes,

Nayiri

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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in April 2026.

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Dear friends,

In the world of nutrition, much attention is given to what we should eat. Far less attention is given to something just as powerful: the environment around us while we are trying to change.

Over the years, one pattern has become very clear to me.

Many people come to me fully aware that improving their health will involve dietary change. They are mentally ready. They are motivated. In many cases, they are capable of doing the work themselves.

Where things often begin to unravel is not motivation, and not knowledge.

It is lack of support.

Information alone is rarely enough. Environment and support often determine whether change lasts.

When I look across my client work, the same pattern appears again and again. Progress tends to be smoother when the home environment is supportive. It becomes significantly harder when the person trying to make changes feels questioned, dismissed, or quietly undermined by those closest to them.

Most family members mean well. They worry. They repeat what they have always heard. But the impact can still be deeply discouraging.

Over the years, many clients have shared the kinds of comments they receive:
• “You're eating butter! It will clog your arteries.”
• “Fruit sugar is good for you. Everyone needs fruit for antioxidants.”
• “Red meat will give you cancer. I read it somewhere!”

And slowly, confidence begins to erode.

Recently, I heard again from a former client I had worked with three years ago. When she first came to me, she had type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and hypertension. After five sessions, she was making meaningful progress and felt cautiously optimistic.

However, her family strongly discouraged her from continuing.

Three years later, she returned with an HbA1c of 10.1 percent, higher than the 9.6 percent she had come to me with previously, and she had suffered a mini stroke.

This time, she came back with a much stronger resolve to take control of her health.

There is an important lesson here.

Knowledge matters. Strategy matters. But very often, support determines whether change truly lasts.

This is one reason I place so much emphasis not only on food choices, but also on helping clients build a realistic, sustainable structure around them. Sometimes that means educating family members. Sometimes it means finding community elsewhere. And sometimes, it means working with a coach who can provide steady guidance when motivation naturally fluctuates.

If you are currently trying to improve your health and finding it harder than expected, it may be worth gently asking yourself:

Do I have the right support around me for the change I am trying to make?

Warm wishes,

Nayiri

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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in March 2026.

Want next month’s insight delivered straight to your inbox before it appears here? Join the Newsletter →

Dear friends,

I hope you’re keeping well.

If you spend time online, you’ve probably noticed how heated nutrition conversations have become. Low carb versus high carb; low fat versus high fat; carnivore, vegan, high protein, low protein – each camp defending its position with remarkable intensity.

I’ve grown increasingly tired of these battles. Not because nutrition doesn’t matter; it very much does, but so much energy is spent arguing sides rather than helping people.

Over the years, working with clients from very different backgrounds, I’ve come to a simple conclusion: our biology is more complex than a single rule or approach. What works for one person may not suit another, at least not in the same way or at the same time.

I prefer to think of nutrition as a toolbox. Different approaches can be useful tools depending on context – health status, lifestyle, history, and individual goals. It’s rarely a case of one method being right and all others wrong.

When I look at the success stories of my clients, no two journeys look identical. The common thread is often a move away from excessive sugar and towards a better understanding of how their own body responds, rather than blind adherence to a particular label or ideology.

Interestingly, we’re starting to see this shift reflected more widely. Recent updates to the American dietary guidelines place greater emphasis on real, whole foods, moving away from rigid targets and reductionist thinking.

It’s a quiet reminder that health is rarely about extremes and more often about food quality, context, and consistency over time.

Endless debates demand energy. I prefer to put that energy into helping people find an approach that feels realistic, sustainable, and supportive of long-term health.

That’s the perspective I’ll continue to share here; thoughtful, measured, and grounded in real-life experience.

Warm wishes,

Nayiri
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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in February 2026.

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Hello there,

I hope you’re having a good week.

Some of you have been following Low Carb and Fasting for many years now — through the website, social media, and the YouTube channel. The work itself has been active for a long time, and yet it has taken me rather longer than expected to finally launch this newsletter.

Many of you have told me you were looking forward to it, and I’m genuinely grateful for that. For me, this feels like a quieter, more personal space — a place to share one thought each month, keep all our links in one place, and occasionally let you know about new videos or upcoming projects.

As the old year rolled into the new, I found myself wondering how many of you made a health-related resolution this January — perhaps the same one you’ve made before — and quietly struggled to keep.

If that sounds familiar, please know this: you are not a failure, and you are certainly not alone.

Most people don’t fail because they lack willpower. They struggle because they’ve never been given a clear understanding of what they’re committing to, why it matters for their own body, and just how much support is often needed to make lasting change feel realistic rather than overwhelming.

Real, sustainable health isn’t built on January promises. It’s built on understanding, patience, and guidance — taken one step at a time.

That’s the spirit in which I’m writing to you here. Not to push, persuade, or pressure, but to offer thoughtful perspective and steady encouragement as we move through the year together.

Warm wishes,

Nayiri

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This reflection was first sent exclusively to my newsletter subscribers in January 2026.

Want next month’s insight delivered straight to your inbox before it appears here? Join the Newsletter →