What a Van, a Pan and a Dad Taught Us About Wellbeing
Why we are quietly obsessed with Australian food blogger Nicholas Pearce and what his recipes have to do with feeling well
Nicholas is not your typical wellness influencer. And thank goodness for that.
He is a dad, a cook, a traveller, and the creative force behind @recipearce a feed full of barefoot dinners, rice paper rolls by the fire, and meals made with whatever is in the esky. But it is not just the recipes we are drawn to, it is the feeling.
Watching Nick cook is like exhaling. It is slow, soulful, and deeply human. And at Mode, that is exactly the kind of energy we believe healthcare needs more of.
Because health is not just test results or treatment plans. It is how you feed yourself. It is connection. It is the daily rituals that nourish your nervous system, not just your body.
So what can we learn from a man in a van with a frying pan? Turns out, quite a bit.
Images: @recipearce
Food is care
When Nick cooks, it is not just about the food. It is about presence. About offering something warm and nourishing to the people around him. About the ritual of chopping, stirring, serving, and sharing. It is the kind of care that does not need a diagnosis or a doctor. It just needs time and attention.
At Mode, we talk a lot about whole person care. That means asking questions about more than symptoms. It means looking at your stress, your sleep, your relationships, your environment. And yes, your food. Not in a prescriptive way. In a human one.
Because what you eat, how you eat, and who you eat with matters. It affects your gut. Your mood. Your energy. Your sense of safety in the world.
Slowness is medicine
There is something powerful about watching someone cook slowly. It does something to your nervous system. You start to breathe a little deeper. Your shoulders drop. You remember that not everything needs to be urgent.
Our bodies crave this. They need it to digest, to rest, to regulate. The science backs it, but so does your gut instinct. Slowing down is not lazy. It is smart. It is how we heal.
Nick’s pace reminds us that health is not a to-do list. It is a rhythm. And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is take it all down a notch.
Connection is everything
Every video is a little love letter, to his kids, to the land, to the people he meets along the way. That is what makes it magic. It is not just content. It is connection.
And connection, by the way, is one of the most underrated drivers of health. Loneliness is more harmful than smoking. Community matters. Joy matters. Shared meals and shared moments are part of the medicine.
Wellbeing is not always clinical
You do not need supplements lined up on the bench to be healthy. You do not need a perfectly stocked fridge. You just need to tune in. To listen to what your body wants. To feed it with colour, with care, and with joy.
Nick does that, without the jargon, without the overwhelm. Just one pot, a few kids running wild, and a meal that makes you want to call your mum.
So what does this have to do with Mode?
Everything.
We are a modern healthcare clinic, yes. But we are also just a group of humans who believe that wellbeing starts way before the GP appointment. It starts in the small things. The daily rituals. The way you show up for yourself and the people you love.
So here is to more barefoot dinners. More burnt onions. More meals on camp stoves and conversations in the dark. More moments that feel like exhaling. Because that, that is health too.
Thanks for reading,
Love Mode