My cooking philosophy is about being fully present in the kitchen and taking that wonderful opportunity to bring the mind to the here and now. Seasoning each meal with love and care while enjoying a beautiful work of art.
Table of Contents
What is cooking for you?
Today’s fast-paced lifestyle gets us nowhere and makes us forget that life is in details.
What if we create more interest in our everyday duties and give them some extra attention.
Does cooking for you feel more like another chore that needs to be done?
It used to feel the same for me until I discovered that it can be an amazing experience. After eight hours of teaching middle school students, cooking became my favourite activity to unplug my mind and disconnect from the workday. I would play my favourite music, shift my attention on chopping some vegetables and all my senses would engage instantly in the prosses.
Over time this everyday task evolved into my favourite social gathering, self-care practice and new form of meditation.
Let me share with you my cooking philosophy 🙂
Cooking is my homemade gift to people I love!
First I discovered the pleasure of feeding others. I really felt good when my friends praised my meals and their tummies were happy. I started inviting them more often which brought us closer. Every time I cook for someone I think about that person, their food likes and inevitably some fun moments we shared would pop into my mind. Based on that I would take time to pick a dish, cook then add my own personal touch of presenting it on a plate. It feels like buying a present, wrapping it up and giving it.
My world is better when I cook for people I love because the food is absolutely essential for sustenance of life. I feel like I am providing goodness to their bodies and minds.
Cooking nourishes not only my body but also my relationships.
Cooking is my act of kindness towards myself and others!
The food is our primal fuel so it is important what kind of fuel we use.
By making more conscious food decisions about what we’re going to eat every day, we are creating a heathier lifestyle.
The food we eat affects not only our body but our entire state of mind. Eating a diet rich in different colours will enhance both our physical health and the way we feel.
I started exploring the relationship between what I eat and how I feel which led me to my discovery of a whole food, plant-based diet.
By simply becoming more aware of WHY I was reaching for certain foods, my diet completely changed. When we attentively cook a meal for ourselves or others we are more conscious of what we are putting in our body. One of the best way to take care of our mental and physical health is by providing the proper nutrition.
Are you choosing food based on your dietary habits or what your body really needs?
This question I started asking myself before planning my weekly meals. More and more I was adding whole foods in my cooking driven by my body hunger. I realized how much food had control over my body. Connecting what I eat with how I feel afterwards was the starting point of implementing the changes on how and what I cooked.
Eating the rainbow makes me happy, lighter and more motivated
Cooking is my therapy!
Rather then being overwhelmed and stressed of day’s activities, I go for my therapeutic session in the kitchen. It gets me into the flow of different activities which distracts my thoughts and gets me into a calmer state.
The process of making food has an impact on our mind. It teaches us to be more present and perceptive.
There is always a mental discourse going on in our heads, we never take a pause and allow ourselves to enjoy the process. We just want to get it done, to see that product in front of us.
What If I give my full attention to every step of the way?
That was when I started noticing my thoughts popping up, focusing on my breath, and appreciating it.
I use my breath as a rope to tie down my mind. From here I give my full attention to each task letting myself to be entertained by them.
I like to be alone in the kitchen. It allows me to focus my attention on the experience, for example noticing colours, shapes, texture and smell of the spices I am using.
Mindful cooking triggers my curiosity and creativity to create my own version of a dish. What if I combine different spices or vegetables or add some extra grains??
At the end of the process there it is, my final masterpiece!
What is your therapy of choice? 🙂
Cooking mindfully is a practice. Be patient and considerate towards yourself ♥
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
François de la Rochefoucauld
Interested In Travelling
