“Proper attitudes are as important as the quality of food and cooking techniques.”
Healing with Whole Foods

It’s been more than six years since I made major changes in my eating choices.  Each year since those initial changes of dropping sugar and flour from my diet, I have made adjustments at meal and snacktime, and this year I’ve decided I want to put together the things I’ve learned to bring new healing to my life and the lives of those who eat with me.

In my reading, I’ve come to embrace much of what I’ve learned in the teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic practices.  I’m still piecing things together, but I do think that regardless of what food choices I make, the value of the meal begins in my mind, my attitude.  This year, I’m going to practice a new attitude in the kitchen.  For those of you who love to cook and find it to be an escape, my thinking might seem silly, but I believe I am not alone in often seeing cooking as a time-consuming chore.  Maybe you’ll help me as I try to enjoy cooking.

Here are some of the suggestions I have found, and I’ll share them with you. :

• Respect what you are doing and be pleased with your cooking, no matter how simple.
• Be grateful for the opportunity to cook for the nourishment and well-being of yourself and others.
• Relax and put aside your troubles.  Devote your time to the preparations of the meal.

My plan is to make my meals as simple as I can, while gaining as much flavor as I can from a few spices.  I hope you’ll share how you feel about cooking, how you think it impacts your health, and ways that another person might be able to make cooking not such a chore.  We have a lot of time ahead of us, let’s hope it’s flavorful!