The body of someone in their thirties, however, tells the truth without hesitation. Miss a few nights of sleep and breakouts appear; eat lunch in a hurry, and drowsiness sets in for the rest of the afternoon. I know for certain that my younger self could eat her fill of greasy, sweet, and indulgent food without a second thought! However, I can’t spend my days longing for the years when I was practically invincible around food. And giving up delicious things is not an option! My plan is to build up my collection of healthy-yet-delicious recipes, one by one, and learn to understand this body and mind of mine as they grow more candid with time. That is the approach to ‘Holistic Longevity’ I have found for myself.

For six years now, I’ve been running a social media account dedicated to low-carb recipes made without flour or sugar. What began as a habit of photographing the food I made before it disappeared into my mouth has, before I knew it, settled into a routine: healthy snacks made over the weekend, brought in and enjoyed at work during the week. Keeping a record on social media led me to put more care and thought into how I ate, and the time spent making and enjoying snacks gradually became a form of self-care. In the end, I think Holistic Longevity is less a grand philosophy and more a matter of repeating small habits like these: eating well, getting enough rest, and keeping yourself feeling good. Small habits that look after you, consistently, as though giving yourself a little gift each day.

Snack Tin, Snack Routine!

There's something I've been trying recently. As a self-proclaimed food connoisseur and content scroller, I spotted this trend in my social media feed. It’s the ‘Snack Tin.’ The concept is to portion out your favorite snacks and carry them in a small tin case, ready to enjoy whenever and wherever the mood strikes. Simply put, it’s a miniature snack box. Looking back, I’ve actually been living the Snack Tin lifestyle for quite a while. I’d pack the low-carb snacks I made on weekends into zip-lock bags or small containers to take with me. The packaging was admittedly a bit rough around the edges, but since it helped keep binge eating at bay in a healthy way and gave me a sense of satisfaction, I’d say it qualifies as a ‘Snack Tin’ in the broader sense. Lately, in a bid to fully lean into the trend, I’ve been heading to work with a tin case I found on a recent trip, packed to the brim with snacks.

The best thing about the routine of heading to work with a Snack Tin is that I no longer have to white-knuckle my way through the day. There was a time when I would promise myself, “No snacking today!” only to end up reaching for store-bought snacks anyway, time and again. Resisting in the first place was hard enough; when the guilt of eventually giving in piled on top of it, my disappointment in myself only deepened, and I felt truly awful. Now, thanks to my Snack Tin routine, I’ve gone from being ‘someone who can’t resist snacking’ to being ‘someone who eats healthy snacks.’ I’m still eating snacks either way, but the ‘me who eats healthy snacks’ is less stressed, healthier, and happier than the ‘me who can’t resist snacking.’ No longer swinging between hunger and guilt, I’ve found my work focus improves too — a welcome bonus!

A Low-Carb Walnut Pie Recipe to Beat the Afternoon Slump

Today’s recipe, perfect for your Snack Tin, is a low-carb walnut pie. You’ve probably heard the saying that ‘walnuts look like the brain, so they’re good for the brain.’ When I actually looked up the facts, the benefits turned out to be genuinely endless. Improved cognitive function, cardiovascular disease prevention, antioxidant and anti-aging effects, relief from insomnia and stress, and even diabetes prevention! That said, I’m not actually recommending walnut pie for those impressive reasons. It holds together when cut into bite-sized pieces, making it perfect for a Snack Tin; the satisfying crunch is just right for those little cravings; it’s beginner-friendly; and above all, it’s delicious. To be fully honest, I had quite a lot of walnuts left over from the brownie decoration featured in my last column. Making the most of every ingredient you have on hand is an essential mindset for sustainable baking (call it a convenient excuse), so here is my low-carb walnut pie recipe.

Of course, I’m still the person who hesitates in front of the gelato shop on my way home from work, and who, under stress, searches for the perfect dessert to pair with spicy instant noodles. What’s changed from before, though, is that now I know a kinder, gentler approach for myself — and I choose it more often. And it turns out to be tastier and more satisfying than I expected! I'll always carry a tin case of low-carb snacks in my bag, like a good-luck charm. After all, a working professional’s life always calls for an emergency snack.