Joy McCarthy is a certified holistic nutritionist, best-selling author and the founder of Joyous Health. With countless healthy, delicious and foolproof recipes (we regularly make her Chewy Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies) and inspiring home wellness content, Joy is an incredible resource for all things nutrition and home wellness. We’ve been hoping to feature Joy for ages, so are super excited for her to share what’s been helping her and her family stay well at home.
What’s helping you find calm and peace of mind right now for home wellness?
Daily meditation. This was something I started at the beginning of January (pre-COVID) but I am so glad I developed this habit because it really helps me better manage anxious thoughts. I do 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes before I sleep (and I sleep better too!). I also make sure I move every single day. I do at-home workouts whether that be a Barre class on YouTube or Obe Fitness (an app I use for at-home workouts). Anytime we need to grocery shop I walk instead of drive. It’s about 20 minutes each way so it’s a good 40-minute walk, and my daughter Vienna uses her scooter or bikes along beside me.
What are your current go-to dishes? Or are there staple ingredients you’re finding yourself using often?
I love making meals that I can enjoy as leftovers the next day. I’ve been making Butternut Squash Lentil Pie, Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie and we are still eating fish 2-3 times a week because it’s just so easy to bake some salmon and enjoy it with a side of veggies. I’ve also been baking a lot more. I make banana bread at least once per week!
What does movement or fitness look like to you right now?
I think I already answered that above, but I do circuit and power classes through Obe Fitness and my favourite Barre studio Barreworks has gone online so I’ve been loving their classes. I actually stopped going to Barre in person when my daughter was born because I had much less time so I’m super happy they are online!
What’s keeping you entertained while practicing home wellness?
My hubby (Walker) and I are both still working and parenting. We are working in shifts, so both work and parenting is keeping us busy. We are keeping our daughter busy with fun activities like painting, playing card games like Go Fish, dancing (Go Noodle on YouTube is awesome), school work and her favourite shows (Paw Patrol & Max and Ruby). At night Walker and I always watch Trevor Noah to keep laughing and a Netflix show – right now we are into Tiger King! We are cooking and baking lots – but we did that before COVID19. We also maintain our blog and YouTube content by releasing new videos every week, and our podcast is still going strong. I’d say we are busier than ever because we have to cram 35-40 hrs of work into 16-20 hrs each week because one of us always has to be with our daughter.
What’s one more thing you can share that’s helping you create a new sense of “normal” right now?
We’ve established new routines. For example, Vienna has a Zoom class every day with her teacher and friends at 10am so the morning revolves around that and she’s always eager to see her friends. We are also seeing our family on Zoom or Skype calls regularly. We’ve been doing weekly dinners with my parents over Zoom on Sunday night and both grandmothers have been taking turns reading bedtime stories to Vienna virtually. Vienna is still missing her friends and teachers, but I am optimistic this will not be forever.
For more insight on home wellness, check out our “Well at Home” Guide here.
