Hello,
I’m Leslie—a mom, passionate food lover, and holistic health coach living in sunny Portugal for the past eight years. My love for cooking began as a child, standing on a stool beside my mom and grandma, making French dishes from our treasured family cookbook. Food was always about connection for me, but I never imagined it would become my life’s purpose.
In my twenties, I found myself burnt out in a corporate sales career, feeling disconnected and unfulfilled. I craved something real—something that nourished my body and soul. At 29, I sold my belongings and set off for Asia. Immersing myself in the rich traditions of Sri Lanka and India, I discovered the healing power of food. Through Ayurveda, I learned how nourishing ingredients and spices could restore balance to the body and mind.
This journey transformed my relationship with food and life itself. It taught me to live intentionally, listen to my body, and honor what it truly needed. When I returned, I trusted my intuition and made a bold move to Lisbon—a place where I fell in love, became a mother, and built a life rooted in growth and connection.
‘Motherhood has deepened my relationship with food...’
‘...reminding me of the importance of nurturing our bodies intuitively with what we need, in each phase we find ourselves.’
Becoming a mother was a cherished dream that became beautifully real, but once felt uncertain. For a long time, I feared that my fertility journey might be difficult. I had struggled with hormonal imbalances and irregular cycles, feeling out of sync with my own body. Like many women, I wondered if my experiences were ‘normal.’ I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, causing irregular cycles and hormonal imbalances. But with a short hormonal treatment, supplements, conscious living, and eating in tune with my cycle, I regulated my periods which made it easier to conceive. This uncertainty led me to dive deep into how nutrition and lifestyle shape our hormones and fertility and to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Learning to understand my cycle and support my body holistically changed everything for me—and before I even finished my IIN certification as a health coach, I was pregnant.
In 2020, I launched Licking Plates to share recipes and celebrate the joy of food. It started with creating flavorful, memorable dishes and connecting people around the table. Over time, however, my journey evolved—personally and professionally.
As I delved deeper into holistic health through my studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and my own experiences with motherhood, hormonal health, and fertility, I realized my mission had grown beyond recipes and catering. Food became a way to bring joy, nurture health, support transformation, and inspire conscious living.
This evolution naturally led me to expand my focus and rename my business Nourished by Leslie. It reflects my deeper purpose: to help others nourish their bodies and souls, whether through tailored health coaching, meals that heal and energize, or feasts that bring people together.
With love,
Leslie