Why Cooking At Home Feeds Your Body, Mind & Soul
Going to culinary school to become a Natural Foods Chef completely transformed my relationship with food.
It was there that I experienced the power that food has to nourish us even beyond its nutritional components.
I discovered there were so many therapeutic effects of cooking for yourself: from being a channel for creativity, having a greater sensory experience of food itself, to a rewarding sense of self sufficiency and personal accomplishment.
And by the way, all these benefits are available when preparing even the simplest meal, using whole fresh ingredients.
For me, cooking opened the door to seeing food as a fundamental tool for creating optimal health – a natural ally in healing in the real sense of the word because I realized that the food we eat is truly our closest connection to mother earth.
I discovered there’s a healing energy that gets activated when you get your hands in the food, chopping, sautéing, stirring, noticing its vibrant colors, appreciating all the flavors and aromas.
Contrast this to the clinical, low pleasure relationship with food that diet culture or nutritional dogma perpetuates.
It’s because of this that cooking has the potential to mend so much of our trauma with food and our bodies.
Cooking for yourself heightens your consciousness around food, expands your awareness for which foods best align with your body.
One of the myths that I work hard to dispel is that cooking is drudgery, too complicated, or something you just don’t have time for.
Cooking – that is the act of devoting the time and erergy to preparing something that is nourishing for yourself, is one of the highest forms of self care.
When you choose to cook something that is good for your body and soul you are sending a message of healing:
Instead of I’m too busy; you are saying “My health is a priority; I am important and worthy of my own time and attention”
I hope you’re inspired to do some simple cooking. Go visit your local farmer’s market that’s open now and enjoy the summer bounty of fresh vegetables. You can also visit my website for some simple easy recipes.
