Food is my passion. Food that brings a smile to the face. Mouth watering tasty food that screams nutritious goodness. Food that doesn’t weigh on the body but gives sustainable energy throughout the day.
I trained as Cordon Bleu Chef 10 years ago. I love the art and the science of food. There’s something about food that lights my soul. But I don’t do it for me. I get the greatest pleasure from creating nourishment for people that I love and care about, knowing the impact I’m having on their lives.
Putting others first
For years I concentrated on cooking for others. Due to the pressures of kitchen-life and taking care of my family’s needs, I put myself last (picture a time-poor, stressed out mumma trying to juggle it all). The irony of it all, cooking incredible food for everyone… but myself. It took me a while to realise I was feeling less than my best.
My hormones were out of balance big time. I was struggling with my own health issues: Heavy periods, Painful cramping, Migraine headaches, Constant facial ache, Irritable, Low energy. It was full on hormone chaos.
I knew I wasn’t honouring my body — in accordance with my menstrual cycle — and aware that I had totally lost touch with the food I was putting into my body. I knew I had to do something. So, I started to research.
The impacts of food on the female body
I became fascinated by the latest nutritional research. And, by ancient food systems dating back thousands of years. And, with the connection between food and its positive and negative impacts on the female body, especially at different phases of the menstrual cycle. There is a lot of science out there to explain the why’s and how’s but it was as simple as prioritising each meal. What should I eat at each phase of my cycle to balance my body. No more skipping lunch or convenient fast food. That had to stop!
My focus became eating whole grains, legumes, colourful vegetables and protein. The vitamins and minerals in these foods works magic. Food really is medicine. After as little as 3 days there were noticeable differences to my complexion. After two months I realised I hadn’t had a migraine. My new food regime was working, and most noticeable of all was my overall mood and increase in energy. I felt great again.
Good food is hard to find
Over the last 5 years I’ve recognised, like many, that women have been underserved in the marketplace. Products are typically generic. While the world has seen great advances in this space, with products and services designed specifically for the uniqueness of the female body, food has been left behind.
I understand that good food is often hard to make and can be time consuming. And without specialist knowledge about the science of cooking, healthy food can be tasteless. Lunches are especially hard. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Nutritious food that sync’s with your cycle and tastes amazing should be available for every woman. Food that helps women feel in control of their lives and helps them to be their best self is a no brainer.
I want to cook for other women like me. I want them to experience how food can work with their bodies and not against it. I want them to feel the love I get from creating mouth watering tasty food, that’s actually good for them.
Trophi is Nourishment for Women
I know I’m not alone. I watch friends and work colleagues struggling the same way I once did. I want to help them. I want to help you. This is why I created Trophi.
With my understanding of cookery, and years of kitchen know-how I want to create nutritious, wholesome food using good quality seasonal ingredients for all women.
The base of all my recipes are whole foods, no inflammatory ingredients, focus on fibre and protein, using organic produce as often as possible. By documenting my cycle month by month I’ve learned how to wield food to my body’s advantage. It didn’t take long to see the powerful effects food was having on my health, energy, improved mental clarity, lighter mood and those pesky migraines had all but stopped. In the same way food became my medicine, I want it to become your medicine.
My vision
Over the next 10 years, I want every woman in Aotearoa New Zealand to be well nourished. I want them to understand that the food they eat can directly affect their menstrual cycle and how they feel and function. I want to provide our meals to as many women as possible. I want women to take control of what they consume, while still experiencing the pleasures of food. I want to help women to balance those weekly highs and lows so we can live the lives we choose. Trophi is the first step in this journey.
The thinking behind our meals
Kylee put a lot of thought in to how our meals came about. Learn about the principles that have guided us in bringing you the best meals possible.