We were lucky to catch up with Doris Fin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Doris, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
My parents came to Canada from Russia in 1981. Naturally, they provided my brother and I with a typical middle class lifestyle, gave us everything, including many of the common culprits to many common ailments we know of today. While I was a very well loved child, I had a hard time loving myself and woke up tired, had acne, back pain, hair fell out by the chunks, and I even had period pains at the age of 12! Being heavier and taller than my preteen peers didn’t help with my confidence either.
My parents didn’t know that they were unintentionally “poisoning” us when they lovingly fed us and allowed us to ingest harmful substances (refined sugars, salts, oils, flours, preservatives, additives, etc.). They let us eat everything from fast food, junk food, mainstream “edible food like substances” and anything else that was packaged shiny, screaming “eat me” and easily accessible to us. After all, it was legal and easily available in every store, every restaurant, and constantly bombarded at us by sneaky advertisements.
Food developers know what our tastebuds like and are easily addicted to and they know that the average parent will give into their screaming kids and give them anything to keep them quiet, happy and well fed. It’s not nutrition and health these developers are focused on, but the business of keeping people hooked and in constant need of more. Plus, not considering the consequences for future repercussions, cheap and convenient is a common go to when on a budget. Inevitably, when the nervous system is shot and stress dominates the body, mind, and household, healthy food is what the body needs, but it’s often the last option to reach for or start to incorporate when the damage is done and a product of society is formed (aka an addict of sugar and “edible food like substances”).
When I was 12 my mother had her first stroke, my brother hung out with the “wrong” crowd and I had all of the previous mentioned symptoms, as well as a hard time focusing, absorbing information and couldn’t manage “good grades”. My dad became a nutritionist to help us and while my mom and brother didn’t care much for it, I ate up all his knowledge as fast as I use to eat a Big Mac. I lost 30 lbs (I was 175lbs at 12), my hair grew back thicker, and my skin cleared up, my periods were normal, I could concentrate in class, and I even thrived at playing sports and going to the gym. I couldn’t believe how much energy I had and how happy and healthy I felt. I didn’t know I could feel that way.
My dad will forever remain my hero and I’m forever in gratitude to him for remaining dedicated to his health and wellbeing first and foremost (still to this day at 73) so he could guide and help his family, He gave me a gift that changed my life forever and we are close and thriving together to this day because of his efforts 25 years ago. Persistence is key and leading by example from a place of love and genuine care (not ego and judgment) make all the difference. That wasn’t the case 25 years ago, but today we know better and can continue this way.
After I lost the weight and my energy sky rocketed I became a whole new person! A confidence instilled in me that I hadn’t known before. I made it my mission to bring joy and educate people wherever I went (and go). Healthy eating produced healthy thinking, living, and attitude. Unhealthy eating did the opposite. It’s true, “you become what you eat” and also “what you eat ate”.
Confidence and self-esteem came overtime, but the catalyst was definitely from what I put into my body, the kinds of people I hang around, the books I read, the music I listen to, avoiding news, negative environments, drama, and engaging in things that bring me joy, feed my bliss, and help move me forward in my life. Acts of kindness, being in service to others (when my cup is full) and spending a lot of time in nature and avoiding a lot of screen time make all the difference. Anything that sets me back I reflect on, any habits or old patterns I repeat I take a moment to inquire within why they are happening, and without judgment I remain gentle and kind to myself and thank the experience/person that triggered me, for every trigger is an opportunity for healing. And these all contribute to confidence and self esteem.
The best gift you can give yourself and others is working on yourself. It can take a lifetime, and it’s worth it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My fascination with food and cooking began at the curious age of seven. I thought my parents were alchemists as I was always fascinated when the raw chicken went into the oven looking pale and dull, but then it “magically” appeared crispy, golden brown and full of flavour after an hour. How did they do that? I wondered. And the soups and salads mom created filled with loads of fresh veggies that tasted nothing like their raw state made loving veggies so much easier. Sauces of all kinds for any dish, any occasion, anytime of the day was like being a kid in a candy store, minus the side effects and dental visits. I looked forward to eating as much as I look forward to cooking, and still do today!
Food excites me. Playing with ingredients and cooking up nutrient dense flavourful meals for people excites me. Whether foraging in a forest, picking fresh from a garden, being delightfully imbued by their vibrancy when I enter a farmers market or directly on a farm, I go gaga for veggies and plants of all kinds. The ones less commonly found in regular grocery stores are extra special and the rarer an ingredient, the more excited I get when I play with them.
At the age of eighteen, I began travelling to explore various cultures and cuisines, including Israel, India, Thailand, Iceland, Italy, Bali, Hawaii, Laos, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and many others. This allowed me to expand my palate and develop my craft. My passion is fuelled by gathering fresh ingredients to create delicious and nutritious meals, then feasting with others.
While cooking and foraging with various chefs and seasoned foodies and foragers, I have garnered a joy for cooking with quality, local, and seasonal ingredients. Through my interactive cooking classes, creative dinner events, and wholesome catered wellness retreats, I make experiencing food fun while educating palates to appreciate natural flavour. I especially love teaching and encourage people to connect to themselves, to really understand and explore what they individually require for their body and mind to thrive, rather than follow trends and dogmas. I love speaking about the importance of supporting and building relationships with local food producers, and really getting to know your food, from Earth to Lips. I believe unity and connection is better cultivated when we know how, and by whom our food is grown.
After more than two decades of cooking, traveling, teaching hundreds of people, and feeding thousands, I have made it my mission to help people rediscover their love for cooking with REAL ingredients.
Locally, organically, and regeneratively grown and happily raised ingredients play a major role in my menu development, for which I continually search out the freshest and best ingredients. If I’m not buying directly from the farm or picking from the forest and garden, you’ll find me hopping around farmers markets (when in season), joyously discovering new ingredients to experiment with and I encourage you to do the same!
For over a decade I’ve been making Fin Cakes, aka organic, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan “better than ice cream” cakes and since 2020 I have created over 30 flavours of Fincicles, the “better than ice cream” bars (Fin Cakes recreated). These are currently only available in Ontario, Canada. I’m also in the works of creating an online course offering my 25+ years of knowledge about food, health, and wellness.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Being responsible for myself and my choices. No one is going to do something for me, other than the things that I don’t want to do and prefer to outsource: (e.g. social media content, videography, photography). When I make a decision I need to make sure that it’s 100% what I want, I consider all the consequences, benefits and possible outcomes. After years of making mistakes and learning from them, it’s important to me to do my best and set myself up for success.
Deciding on what I want to do that brings me joy, that I love doing and that helps many (i.e. teach cooking classes, cater retreats, offer 5 course dinners, create healthy products). And asking for help, not trying to do it all myself. It’s important to allow others to contribute to you and help you grow (helping them grow too). Making sure that whatever I’m doing still brings me joy and if it doesn’t, to recognize it immediately, to prevent resentment and anger, and make necessary tweaks to maintain sustainability, joy, and community!
Maintaining balance on all levels: mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally. Daily meditation, getting into nature often, daily exercise (yoga/gym), eating clean and healthy (with rare exceptions; i.e. rarely if ever eating out; making sure to always be prepared with proper nourishment throughout the week and on the road). Having an outlet to express, share, reflect, guide, bounce ideas off of (friend, therapist, etc.), get to bed early, wake up early, read books, and avoid the news and all negative people, places, things.
Early in your journey? Best ways to develop and improve on these elements is by first deciding this is what you want to improve/develop and to get clear on why. Decide in this moment that nothing is going to stop you from becoming the best version of yourself! Work towards being better than who you were yesterday so the progress is a lifetime, not a temporary fix like looking good for the beach. Make every day count. Only do the things that will help forward your path, not keep you behind. If that means changing up your environment, friends, activities, relationships, work, etc. do it! Do whatever you need to do to get to where you want to be, and beyond! Keep striving for the best because you deserve it and the world needs more people who strive to thrive, and don’t listen to stats, listen to your inner compass. Never give up, unless you intuitively feel it’s time to shift direction for your Highest path.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I love collaborating with like minded people who value the same things I do and who want to collaborate with this Holistic Chef to put on wholesome events, podcasts, have deep convos about food, nature, fitness, health, wellness, etc. and share our convos with others (whether in person or digitally).
Would love to collaborate with people who understand the importance of and are working towards or already have their own community, value clean food, clean water, forest bathing, clean products (may want me as an ambassador), education about eating, cooking, living a balanced and healthy life, people into wacky, but very beneficial activities like cold plunging, Breathwork, hiking, camping, weight lifting, etc.
I’m also open to other suggestions of collaborations if you can see us working together on a project/offering for others that will benefit all for a healthy outcome for people, animals and our beautiful Mother Earth.
You can reach me at chefdorisfin@gmail.com or on instagram @chefdorisfin
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefdorisfin.com
- Instagram: chefdorisfin
- Facebook: chefdorisfin
- Linkedin: chefdorisfin
- Youtube: chefdorisfin
Image Credits
Cover Photo by Robert Skuja
