We have talked about giving yourself PERMISSION to be healthy, PLANNING for your health and now let’s talk about PREPARATION!
Planning your food ahead of time is an act of self love. Think for a moment how many hours you spend watching T.V., engaging in social media or superfluous computer time. Take some of those hours and reallocate and invest them in PREPARATION. Here’s how.
In our busy lives, we need to outsmart time. We are often too tired to shop or prepare food at the end of a work day. Get creative and fall in love with the process. The art of conversation and shared time during the cooking process is not only some of the most amazing entertainment but can be a spiritual experience.
I experienced this in Hawaii when I was staying with my daughter and her friends. At first I was losing my mind because every meal took HOURS to prepare. We would finally sit down and I would be so obsessed with getting fed that I missed out on the beauty of the experience. One night, early in my trip, I was invited to a vegan dinner party hosted by a world renowned vegan chef and cookbook author, Nadia Damaso. I was thinking/judging that it was going to taste like cardboard and I would starve to death right there in paradise. When I arrived, the attendees and cooks were dancing, hugging, laughing, loving and cooking together. Everyone was participating in the joy of the ritual. When we sat down to eat the seven course meal which ended in lavender ice cream, I was so “full” of love and being present and in awe of these humans that I was not my usual hungry, grumpy self before a meal. I was not calculating the numbers and judging myself. It was literally one of the most extraordinary and life changing nights of my life. I was able to be present and taste the love in each dish. This was three years ago. I began to see the process of preparing food and sharing it as a sacred and holy one. My daughter and her friends “got it” to their core. Just by being themselves and sharing their journey, they added to my healing.
Build a healthy foundation and remember, you are not a short order cook. If you have children or others for whom you are preparing meals, serve them the same healthy foods you eat. Whole grain pastas and breads, coconut oil instead of butter, healthy crackers. Protein pancakes, cookies or cakes that are made with egg white, stevia or maple syrup, oats and nut flours. The mass food producers formulate their foods to hit the pleasure centers of the brain and encourage addiction to their products. From the advertising, to the endorphin release produced by their chemicals, they are hooking each generation and our bank accounts as the targets. Help your children learn healthy habits now and for a lifetime. The very quality of their lives (and yours) is at stake.
Everyone sits together and shares a meal made with care and love are powerful beyond measure. It is a time for everyone to feel the strength and bond of family. Whether you are one, a couple or many at the table, treat your meals with love and know they are sacred. Leave your phones in another room. Unplug from technology and plug into each other or yourself and the experience for an hour. It not only builds connection but self-esteem and better digestion. Studies have shown that families that dine regularly together are healthier and happier as individuals and as a family.
Do this even if you are alone. Sit at a table. Not in front of your computer or TV. Use the “good china”. Light candles. Who is a more important guest than you? Have fresh flowers or a lovely plant on the table. Use cloth napkins if you have them and learn how to fold them beautifully. Create a ritual that honors your journey. If money is an issue, go to the 99 cent store. Use your imagination. Put a wild flower or a branch in a vase. Use a paper towel as a napkin. Fold it into a fan to make it beautiful. Honor yourself and be grateful.
