Do you want to change the way you eat and feel better in your own skin, but simply have no idea where to even begin?
Maybe you’re having digestive issues, or you gained weight in the past several years, or your energy just isn’t what it used to be.
Are you overwhelmed by the confusing information available in the media?
You know you have to make changes, but you also don’t want to be eating kale salads and granola every day. You want to enjoy your life again, but aren’t sure if you have it in you to change your habits after all this time…
I believe everyone can change their lives through food and lifestyle. I’ve done it, and I know you can do it too!
I get it. I too was there years ago. I knew I wasn’t feeling good in my own skin and losing self-confidence, but boy did I love my fries and junk food. I’m not gonna lie, it took a bit of mental effort at first, but once you start giving your body the right nourishment, you will feel it, and you’ll want more of that feeling. Your body will feel better, but also your mind. It become a positive “vicious” cycle that you won’t want to stop.
Being healthy isn’t about achieving perfection or following fads, it’s about establishing a solid foundation for a lifetime of health and happiness. I know you can do it too. I believe in you! You can gain confidence in the kitchen and in your life. You will be empowered to regain control of your life.
Imagine waking up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to start your day, because you provide your body with the nourishment it needs while enjoying what you eat.
When you join the Eyecandypopper community, you’ll be empowered with the knowledge to get there.
My name is Gabrielle and this website is where I share my love for whole foods and healthy living. I’m a certified holistic nutritionist (RHN), freelance recipe developer and food stylist, turned photographer. I also write on topics relating to food, nutrition, holistic health, and travel.
I’m French and Canadian, from the Montreal area (you can find some French posts here). I’ve been living in Southwestern Ontario for over 18 years. I’m married, and we used to have a fur baby named Brandy that we loved and cherished for 19 years. She recently passed away, and we miss her terribly.
ABOUT EYECANDYPOPPER
I founded Eyecandypopper in 2013, not knowing anything about blogging, maintaining a website or photography, so I had to learn from scratch. All I knew is that I wanted to share what I learned myself. My work has since been featured on websites and magazines such as Brit+Co, Boston Magazine, ELLE France, Buzzfeed, Archive Magazine (print), The Body Book, TheFeedFeed, Tasty Trends Magazine (print), and more.
This website is focused mostly on plant-based, whole-food, seasonal recipes. I don’t like to be part of any labels, because I don’t fit in any boxes. I’m not vegan or vegetarian, even though I eat vegan and vegetarian meals most of the time. I try to eat dairy-free, but I enjoy some free-range eggs from a small local organic farm. I occasionally eat some organic/grass-fed/free-range meat or cheese. The recipes here are vegan or vegetarian for the most part, often gluten-free, and always made with the most natural, wholesome, nourishing ingredients. The blog also occasionally proposes wellness and holistic living content, one of them is close to my heart: why eating organic is important for our health and the planet. I created a 5-part Why Organic? series that you can read by clicking on the link.
Eating takes up a huge part in our lives, yet so many people live without knowing the power that food can have on their health and wellbeing. It is incredibly empowering. This site was born out of my love for cooking with whole, natural ingredients and my desire to inspire people to take control of their own health.
Eyecandypopper is about breaking/popping barriers between healthy foods and mouth-watering foods (eye candy), about reconnecting with our food and the joy a delicious wholesome meal can provide, and striving to live a vibrant life.
MY JOURNEY
I used to love junk food! I grew-up in Canada, then France, then Canada again. When we came back to Canada, I was just a couple of years away from being a teenager, and I discovered junk food in a big way. I absolutely loved it. I’ve always been more of a salty person than sweets, so McDonald’s was my favourite. I loved fries. I ate them every chance I got. Then I moved on my own far away right after college, and ate more junk. I mean, it so convenient, and relatively cheap. But it didn’t take too long for me to start feeling sluggish, and for my liver to start crying for help. I had also gained weight and was becoming unhappy. I got married and I ended-up working in the insurance industry for 15 years. In the beginning, we were basically destructing ourselves with bad food choices, unhealthy lifestyle habits and high levels of stress. I felt like I had no purpose. I was unfulfilled. I was unhappy with my life and in my own skin. I knew something had to change. Thankfully for me, I was still in my early twenties!
In 2001, I accidentally stumbled on a French magazine in the cafeteria (while eating a microwave meal) that talked about farm animal cruelty. It shook me to the core. I wasn’t ready to give up meat, but I knew there must be a better way, so I started researching this subject and that is how I found out about organic farming. I was shocked to learn about the state of our food, and the amount of chemicals we were ingesting through pesticides and additives. Once I knew, there was no way to go back, so we slowly switched all our food to organic, even if it was processed, and then slowly started learning how to cook and added more and more vegetables in our meals. Over 16 years later, I never stopped reading and learning on that subject.
In 2015, I took a leap of faith and decided to go back to school full time for an intensive program to study holistic and natural nutrition. I embarked on a difficult but rewarding journey towards being able to share my passions and help others. A purpose-driven living and happiness. I studied at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and I am now a Registered Holistic NutritionistTM (R.H.N.TM).
MY FOOD PHILOSOPHY
While learning the incredible power whole foods have on our bodies, I discovered a passion for cooking, despite not knowing how to cook before my early twenties. This website is the result of my experimentations in the kitchen and the incredible learnings I had the privilege to acquire through my own research and in nutrition school.
My diet is mostly plant-based because that’s what I have grown to love to eat, and it makes me feel energized, vibrant and alive. I use fresh, wholesome ingredients and avoid processed/packaged foods or refined sugar as much as possible. I try to eat foods in their purest, most natural form. I only buy organic, non-GMO foods and I like to support local farmers. I don’t count calories, and I don’t believe in a one-diet-fits-all approach, but I also do not deprive myself of the foods that I like. I just create them myself with high quality ingredients. I purposely do not write any caloric information about my recipes. I believe that fueling ourselves with real food and listening to our bodies is the key to optimal health. Life is about balance. My approach in life and in the kitchen, reflects this philosophy.
I hope that by sharing a little bit of my own personal quest for wellbeing, I inspire you to get into the kitchen more often, make some positive changes in your own life, and be a little healthier and happier with every meal.
Thank you so much for visiting Eyecandypopper! If you have any questions or just want to say hi, please, feel free to message me, I’d love to hear from you!
If you’d like to collaborate or hire me for services like recipe development, food styling, food photography, sponsorships, ambassadorship, or any other fun project, contact me here I’d love to chat more with you!
You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Gabrielle, aka ECP xo
All photographs, recipes and content are property of Eyecandypopper, unless otherwise noted. Please do not redistribute without my permission. Thanks!
Logo and banner originally created by JDawnInk
Portrait photo by Aya Photography
