LLN Episode #216: Amy Lawrence - Unleashing The Transformative Power of Food Prep

About Amy Lawrence: Amy describes herself as being a gal of many talents and careers. Originally a special education teacher, turned self-made entrepreneur she opened a tearoom restaurant and gift shop without any restaurant or business experience, just with the passion of loving to prepare homemade food for others. Her tearoom was #1 best tearoom in US in 2004. This career turned into blending and selling loose leaf tea wholesale and retail and writing many cookbooks with her own recipes. In 2014, Amy tore her vertebral artery, causing a stroke. This woke her up to life and as a result, she sold her tea business. Very happy to be alive, she ate whatever she wanted and gained a lot of weight. In 2016, she joined a weight loss program, lost over 40 pounds but hated their recipes so decided to create her own, which is how her blog, Gourmet Done Skinny was born. A few years ago, she was invited to be a guest speaker on Weight Loss Made Real with Cookie Rosenblum to talk about food prep. She was amazed at the response. What she thought was ordinary food prep, thrilled and motivated the listeners. This encouraged her to write the book - The Power of Food Prep - it became an international best seller #1 on Amazon. From there she developed and created her own food prep membership called - Food Prep for Foodies . In her own words, Amy says, "I am a woman who has had many successful careers, almost died twice, but I am here and thriving! Food prep is self-care - so that you can have more time for the things you love." Today, she's here to inspire us to be present and make the most of every day What We Discuss In This Episode: Amy, a former special ed teacher turned restaurant owner, had a stroke that changed her life. She discovered the power of food prep and started teaching others her methods, emphasizing the importance of using quality ingredients and portioning meals for convenience and health benefits. Amy goes on to share her method of meal preparation, which involves cooking in large batches, vacuum sealing leftovers to prevent freezer burn, and using fresh vegetables while reheating the main dishes. Amy's recipes are gourmet and healthy, with portion sizes under 500 calories, and she also shared a tip for portion control with desserts by freezing and baking small batches of cookies. - Amy and Lynne discussed the benefits of meal prepping and shared their tips and tricks for making it easier and more enjoyable. Key Takeaways: Food Prep in a different way using Amy's method The Power of Food Prep Why do we food prep? How can it help us? Do you have to be a Type A person to food prep? Why do we rebel about food prep? Why Amy's method is different. Addressing the objection of "I hate spending all day in the kitchen, do I have to do this with food prep?" Free Resource from Amy Lawrence: The Power of Food Prep: https://gourmetdoneskinny.com/podcast-form/ Amy's Bootcamp: https://gourmetdoneskinny.com/bootcamp-waitlist/ Connect With Amy Lawrence: Website: https://gourmetdoneskinny.com/ Membership: https://membership.gourmetdoneskinny.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gourmetdoneskinny Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gourmetdoneskinny/ Connect with Lynne: If you're looking for a community of like-minded women on a journey - just like you are - to improved health and wellness, overall balance, and increased confidence, check out Lynne's private community in The Energized Healthy Women's Club. It's a supportive and collaborative community where the women in this group share tips and solutions for a healthy and holistic lifestyle. (Discussions include things like weight management, eliminating belly bloat, balancing hormones, wrangling sugar gremlins, overcoming fatigue, recipes, strategies, perimenopause & menopause, and much more ... so women can feel energized, healthy, and lighter, with a new sense of purpose. Website: https://holistic-healthandwellness.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holistichealthandwellnessllc The Energized Healthy Women's Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/energized.healthy.women Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnewadsworth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnewadsworth Free Resources from Lynne Wadsworth: How to Thrive in Menopause: MENOPAUSE Messing Up your life? Maybe you're seeing the number on the scale creep higher and higher and you're noticing your usual efforts to lose weight aren't working. Then there's the hot blazes, night sweats, and sleeping fitfully, not to mention that you're fighting tears one moment, raging the next, and then, the shameful guilt sets in because you've just blasted your partner – for nothing…again! Learn how to successfully and holistically navigate perimenopause and full-blown menopause, and even reconcile all the hormonal changes and challenges that go along with it. You'll be feeling energized, healthier, and more in control so you can take on your day confidently and live life joyfully – even in menopause. I've got this FREE solution tool for you. Download my guide here: https://holistic-healthandwellness.com/thrive-through-menopause/ 5 Simple Steps to Gain Energy, Feel Great & Uplevel Your Health: Are you ready to create a Healthier Lifestyle? Would you like to feel lighter, more energized, and even add joy to your life? If it's time to find more balance of mind~body~soul, then I've got the perfect FREE resource to help. In this guide, you'll find my most impactful strategies and I've made applying them in your life as simple as 1-2-3 (plus a couple more) to help you create a healthier, holistic lifestyle. Uplevel your holistic health and wellness and download the 5 Simple Steps to Health here: https://holistic-healthandwellness.com/5-simple-steps-to-a-healthier-you/ Did You Enjoy The Podcast? If you enjoyed this episode please let us know! 5-star reviews for the Living Life Naturally podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Pandora are greatly appreciated. This helps us reach more women struggling to live through midlife and beyond. Thank you. Together, we make a difference!