I'll start the discussion by talking about what food is and what it isn't. Food is something that you put into your body that nourishes you. It gives you energy. It builds strong cells, tissues and organs. It provides your body with the tools to effectively communicate within itself. It is really amazing.
Unfortunately, we have come to see food products as real food. Food products are things that we can eat, but don't really nourish us. Sure, they provide the building blocks for our bodies, but they are not the building blocks we need. It is like using improperly made bricks to build a house. Sure you'll get the house up, but when is it going to start to deteriorate? That depends on where the bad bricks are, how many bad bricks there are, how the builder put them up and what kind of stresses the house is exposed to over its lifetime. Do you see the parallel? Some people do better longer with poor food but maybe they have different resources, different stressors, a different strength when they were born, etc.
And food products often interfere with proper communication in the body. Our bodies need good fats and proteins to produce the hormones and neurotransmitters that we need for our cells to communicate with each other. Cells tell each other what to do, depending on what cell it is. Without proper fats and proteins, our cells can't communicate effectively. And to top it off, many of the additives in foods are excitotoxins that stimulate our brains and nervous systems inappropriately and send excess and/or wrong messages. In short, food products are messing us up. The extent varies from individual to individual, but it affects us all.
So, food is important. There is no question about that. And the way we prepare it can enhance or detract from its nourishment. It is important to prepare food with care and consideration, paying attention to proper techniques, as well as to prepare it with love ~ to be mindful and fully aware of what you are doing and how you are feeling. Get the whole family involved in the food preparation ~ from planning, purchasing and preparing to cleaning up and putting away. It is just you? Then focus on each step involved and don't dismiss it because it is "only" you. It is a great time to recenter and refocus, as an individual and as a family ~ to balance your day with nourishment. So as we move ahead, let's focus on REAL food, exactly what we are eating and how we feel about it, and how we nourish ourselves. Buon appetito!