“The process of cooking has become an end in itself, a way of de-stressing and transitioning from home office to the dinner table with family“– Paul Ebeling
When we prepare our own food we know exactly what goes in it and can avoid preservatives, chemical additives, GMO ingredients, hidden sugars and artificial flavors.
All of those things can weaken our immune system, drain our energy and make it harder for us to manage our weight.
When we make our own food we also make a harmonious connection with and between our family, body, mind and nature, which helps us to digest the food and absorb the nutrients properly into our cells.
Studies shown that having a mindful relationship with food actually increases nutrient intake. It is about the whole process of knowing where our food comes from, buying it ourselves, then preparing a delicious nourishing meal from a place of Love.
Also, cooking our own food makes it easier to manage our weight, promotes healing, reduces bloating and other digestive issues, and boosts our immune system.
Importantly, cooking our own food can be a pleasurable, joyful experience.
There are tens of millions who have spent the majority of the virus chaos working from home, and cooking dinner from scratch provides the break between “working time” and “home time”.
Mealtimes have become more of a family ‘doing‘ particularly young professionals, many who say the ritual of preparing food has become more important to them, and the cooking counts as much, if not more, as the meal itself.
There is evidence that an hr or so in the kitchen is good for us is more than just anecdotal. The it provides us with the chance to “enjoy a state of mindfulness” with both offering “a chance to plan, rehearse, and reflect, as well as for your subconscious creativity and problem solving to engage”.
Bookending the day cooking can help to counter the always available expectations of some business cultures when working from home, the idea is to swap the keyboard for the chopping board, and be out of the office.
Not everyone who enjoys being in the kitchen now is determined to become a gourmet chef before Lockdown 3.0 ends, though some will.
I advocate protecting time spent cooking, eating, and appreciating the simple pleasures in life for a few hrs every day.
Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively
