One day I was looking for a good book to read and opened the Libby app, where you can borrow books with your library card. They have both audiobooks and ebooks. It's such a great app for frugal book lovers. I went to the “skip the line loan" section and found Eat & Flourish, How Food Supports Emotional Well-being by Mary Beth Albright. And what a delight to read. After each chapter she includes a recipe.
Mary talks about how even the act of picking out your own produce at the grocery store is part of the cooking process that helps to reduce stress. The vibration of the onions frying in the pan brings calmness. Eating a meal with others also decreases stress.
I love how a lot of rhubarb is growing right now in the garden. I have made rhubarb sauce and a rhubarb coffee cake from the bounty of the garden. There are so many more recipes I would like to try with it.
I’ve been cooking and baking to enjoy food more and to reduce stress.
On a rainy night I prepared a vegetarian chili that was spicy. Steam rose from the frying pan as the cinnamon, cayenne, and cumin mingled with the onions, garlic, and peppers. The sizzling vegetables became soft and the scent of spice filled my nose. The peppers added colour and texture to the dish. In the oven I had sweet potatoes baking on a sheet. I added the beans and tomatoes to boil with the sautéed veggies and monitored the progress by stirring. I put on the rice to cook and added fresh cilantro picked from the garden in the backyard.
My stomach growled with hunger. I enjoyed making and eating the chili. It was a fun new recipe to try out. There are a few things I would tweak after making it.
When living in a town with farms surrounding the area you get accustomed to the strong smell of manure in spring. Then you start to see the blueberry bushes, leaves, and fruit. Local farms advertise their U-Pick berries and other produce. It’s pleasing to the eyes to see green fields growing and changing each time you pass them.
In the book Eat & Flourish, Mary shares that the Mediterranean diet is a good one for physical and emotional well-being. “Food has power to nourish your mind, supporting emotional wellness through both nutrients and pleasure. Albright’s accessible voice and ability to interpret complex studies from the new field of nutritional psychology, combined with straightforward suggestions for what to eat and how to eat it, make this an indispensable guide.” (Penguin Random House Canada)
In the foreword to the book, Dr. Timothy S. Harlan, an associate professor of medicine and executive director of the Culinary Medicine Program at George Washington University, writes: “Most of us think of diets or eating plans or nutrition as applying to the usual suspects, such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. However, the same healthy food principles apply to our moods, emotions, pleasure, energy, and mental health.”
Each person has their own special needs and this diet may not be for everyone. Readers should note that what I’m sharing is for general information only. It is not to be a substitute for medical or psychotherapeutic care. I encourage you to talk to your doctor or health provider before starting a new diet to fit your needs.
Learning how food can affect my gut and brain, I want to make changes for the better. I plan on continuing to cook with whole grains, fruits, and veggies. I like to enjoy meals with family and friends which is very beneficial to my nervous system.
"Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." (Ps 107:8-9)