15/12/2025
Chef İdil Yazar, known for her recipes that reach millions on social media, and also a health coach and lifestyle content creator, met with Sabancı University members with her seminar entitled “Strengthening Flavors.” In the seminar, held on the Tuzla Campus, İdil Yazar shared her career journey in the field of gastronomy with the audience, also touching upon the relationship between holistic health and cuisine, and presenting practical wellness and nutrition tips.
İdil Yazar, who has had a large base of followers for over 10 years, thanks to her gastronomy and wellness content on social media, as well as her television programs and cookbooks, gave a seminar entitled “Strengthening Flavors” at Sabancı University on December 10th. The seminar, which was attended by a large number of Sabancı University students, and academic and administrative staff, also included a Q&A session, in which İdil Yazar answered participants' questions about healthy eating, wellness, and culinary trends.
Today's Menu from İdil Yazar!
İdil Yazar, who also set the daily menu served at the Tuzla Campus Main Cafeteria, shared her delicious and nutritious recipes with Sabancı University members. Following the seminar, Yazar signed copies of her book, "Çikolata," at the Executive Suites of Sabancı Business School.
In the seminar, Yazar explained that her passion for cooking, which began in her childhood, was further strengthened during her time working in New York after university. She shared her holistic approach to gastronomy, developed through recent training in Ayurveda, health coaching, and yoga, with examples and practical suggestions for daily life.
“To Feel Good, You Need to Balance 7 Areas in Your Life”
Yazar stated, “There are seven areas that need to be balanced in order to feel good and strong overall in life.” She continued, “These seven areas are our physical health, our mental and emotional health, our family and relationships with the people we are connected with, our career and sense of productivity, our financial security, our environment-living space, and spirituality or self-awareness. Instead of focusing on all seven areas at once, I try to gradually increase the focus by making one of them the focal point each month, without neglecting the others.”
The 3x3 Method for Starting the Day
Sharing a practical 2-minute exercise method that helps guide one's mind and set goals in daily life, İdil Yazar explained the 3x3 method she uses to start her day as follows: “Every day you can set three intentions, three goals, and three things to be grateful for. For example, one of your three intentions for that day could be ‘speaking from the bottom of your heart.’ For the three goals, you could aim to have a difficult conversation you've been putting off, or to complete a task. Then, you can feel gratitude by thinking about three things that make you happy. At the end of this 2-minute exercise, which will guide your mind, you can write down your thoughts.”
Our Grandmothers' Approach to Nutrition
Stating that she sees healthy eating as a whole consisting of clean protein sources, healthy fats, local products, organic fruits and vegetables consumed in season, and low glycemic index carbohydrates, İdil Yazar said, “Actually, we are very lucky; when we look at the eating habits of our grandmothers, we can understand what healthy eating is.”
"If you feel sleepy and tired after eating, it means you're eating incorrectly," said the author, adding, "Because we eat to get energy, and we need to feel refreshed after a meal. If you feel sleepy, it means something on your plate isn't good for you, or you're consuming too much of it."
“Drinking Coffee on an Empty Stomach in the Morning Increases Stress by 40%”
İdil Yazar offered the following suggestions for coping with the stress of daily life:
“Studies show that a 20-25 minute walk a day has an antidepressant effect. Paying attention to the circadian rhythm, going to bed early and waking up early is important because this rhythm affects our mood, energy, and hormones. Recently, nutrition targeting the stress hormone cortisol has been prominent. Since the body consumes more magnesium when stress levels rise, we can turn to foods containing magnesium such as dark leafy greens, cocoa, and avocados during stressful periods. It is also very important not to drink coffee on an empty stomach in the mornings because it increases cortisol levels by 40%. It is better to drink tea or water before coffee, or to eat something with coffee.”
