What can be more important to your happiness than what you put into your digestive system? Imagine the same gut bacteria that sometimes make you glued to the toilet after eating Taco Bell are also in charge of producing 90% of the happiness hormone, Serotonin. Most of us would love to have a healthy and balanced diet. But our busy schedules get in the way of us planning nutritious meals, so we turn to pre-made, pre-packaged food with a list of ingredients that seem like great suggestions for a tongue twister game.
If the thought of cooking feels more like a chore, if you’re of the opinion that home cooked meals are a waste of time, you’re not alone. 90% of Americans don’t like to cook.
You think to yourself, the effort vs. reward is just not worth it. You spend an hour cooking something that will take 10-15 minutes to eat. But looking at it from the self-care and wellbeing perspective, more and more evidence suggest that home cooking can be very beneficial to your mental health, physical health and more:
Healthier, More Nutritious Food
Cooking at home allows you to watch the list of the ingredients put into your food and potentially eliminates a lot of additives such as preservatives, sugars, artificial dyes and harmful chemicals. Research studies show that additives found in pre-packaged food can increase the risk of developing diabetes, obesity depression, anxiety, and several other health issues.
Improving Creativity
Practicing creativity is a form of self-care with cooking being one of the fastest ways to flex your creative muscle. When you cook, you get to play with different temperatures, colors, textures and tastes, while keeping track of time. If you’re looking for an activity to boost your creativity skills, cooking may be the easiest and least expensive way to start.
But if cooking is not necessarily your cup of tea, how can you make your time in the kitchen more joyful, nourishing, and satisfying?
1. Think Outside the Recipe Book
Cooking the same things over and over again can get boring. Making it fun to make food sometimes means using different recipes for inspiration, as a jumping-off point to come up with your own clever cooking ideas. Take a few recipes that you know. Swap out the ingredients for ones that you love, where you can.
2. Use Cooking Time as Bonding Time
As a busy professional, you may not find a lot of time to spend with your partner, friends or kids. Creating a delicious meal together in the kitchen is just a convenient way to strengthen your sense of connection with your loved ones. You can even try signing up for a cooking class, next time you’re looking for ideas to plan a fun date night. Not only, it will help you engage with your partner or build a new social circle, it will also enhance your cooking skills and creativity in the kitchen.
3. Learn about Food from Different Cultures
Exploring foods and flavors from around the globe is one of the best ways to keep things interesting in the kitchen. With a little courage, you may discover a new love for a certain cuisine you never tried before. Get yourself excited about cooking and try a new dish.
4. Cook While Listening to Your Favorite Music or Podcast
Let the power of music enhance your culinary experience. Playing music or listening to something that sparks your passion and interest can create a calming environment, further alleviating stress, and tension. It also activates the creative part of the brain, leading to more innovation in the kitchen.
5. Sunday Self-Care Cooking
No other day is better than Sunday to spend time on restorative activities that nourish and recharge you before the start of the week. Getting immersed in meal prep, while listening to your favorite music, or sipping your morning beverage, the smell of delicious food filling the air … that all can be very healing. With many resources available online, including meal prep Sundays in your weekly routine is easier than you may think.
Cooking can intrigue a sense of accomplishment, focus and mindfulness. Why not start by switching your 2 hours of mindless social media browsing for meal preps? We guarantee you’ll feel more relaxed and restored right after. Getting to enjoy a healthy delicious meal is just an extra bonus!