For me, this simple phrase spoke to the importance of my field, nutritional psychiatry.
So many people are preoccupied with calories, grams of protein, or whether tobecome vegan.
Everyone canelevate their food game, and we all have to start somewhere.
For me cooking is a sacred spaceit enables me to expand my creativity and decompress from the day.
I found cooking later in life, and for me, the admiration happened naturally.
You may be surprised to find you want to cook even more.
Prep as much as possible.
I take a stab at plan my meals ahead of time as often as possible.
That way, I can tackle some prep a few days in advance, to make cooking less stressful.
My food shopping and prep day is Sunday afternoons; it’s generally a two- or three-hour time commitment.
I keep my weekday cooking super simple.
As long as there are healthy whole foods on my plate, I’m good to go.
Practice gratitude.
I remember that I am blessed to have the food on my platethere are somany who are hungry.
I actually found food more joyful when I embraced prayer.
If this has meaning to you, try it out.
Simple gratitude connects you back to the experience of your meal.
Take time for mindful meals.
I enjoy setting the table and making that a physical space where I eat.
I find that making time for my meals also encourages moremindful eating.
Also, instead of watching TV or looking at my phone, I eat without gadgets.
I’ve found food is even tastier and my digestion is calmer when I stick to this practice.
Keep a clean kitchen.
I follow my meal by cleaning up my kitchen space.
That way, it’s neat when I get up in the morning for a welcome cup ofhome-brewed coffee.
Create calming rituals.
I end the evening trying to wind down for bed, with acalming hot beverage.
My go-to beverages are chamomile tea, lavender tea, or gold chai.
I take this to reflect on my day, releasing any negatives and focusing on the joyful positives.
She writes for Harvard Health and Psychology Today.
