By Sophia Smith
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
The way we prepare and consume food is deeply rooted in our history and our culture, and no matter where you’re from, there’s no denying that your local culture has a deep intrinsic relationship with food. Whether you’re a true foodie or if you’re eating to lose weight and build a physique you’ll love, healthy eating is at the center of it all – and it’s time to learn how it can help you elevate your mindfulness and awaken your creativity.
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Preparing food is a ritual. It can be a stressful chore if you allow it to be, but if you’re looking to achieve inner peace and positivity, you should definitely make it a rewarding and restorative experience. After all, it’s not just regular exercise that can improve your well-being, it’s the act of sourcing wholesome foods, enjoying the cooking process, and eating in a mindful way, as well.
So today, we are going to take a look at the five wonderful ways cooking can enhance your creativity and mindful living, and imbue your days with positivity and zeal.
Create the perfect cooking atmosphere
Every room in your home serves a distinct purpose, but just because a bedroom is a bedroom doesn’t mean that it’s optimized for restful sleep and mindful rejuvenation. No, you need to create the right atmosphere in every room to enhance its effects and maximize its potential, and the same goes for the kitchen. How do you expect to be inspired to prepare the tastiest dishes if you don’t truly enjoy your surroundings, after all?
That’s why your first order of business should be to declutter and organize the kitchen. Next, introduce some greenery into the space to create a beautiful biophilic design. Let plenty of natural light saturate the room, and take the time to create that perfect cooking playlist that will get you in the mood every time. Go the extra mile to organize your spices in little jars, get rid of plastic containers and use glass ones, and opt for beautiful mixing bowls and wooden cutlery to create a much more natural setting.
Experimenting to awaken your creativity
Now that you have organized the space, you’re ready to start enjoying the cooking process like never before. You’ll feel much more inclined to try out new recipes and experiment on your own to unleash your creativity and cooking potential. That said, while you might feel like you can start experimenting immediately, it’s better to learn the basics first.
To experiment with success, you first need to know what you’re doing, so it’s a good idea to stick to some tried-and-tested recipes before setting off on your own. After all, a virtuoso can only experiment with a piece of music when they have mastered the original. Likewise, you should be patient and truly enjoy bringing some famous dishes to life.
You feel relaxed and content knowing that a recipe is guiding your hands, and after a while you will feel empowered to start experimenting on your own.
Stick with natural and wholesome foods
Your connection with Mother Nature should be the foundation of mindful cooking and a mindful lifestyle in general. It’s important to choose natural ingredients that were locally sourced and are organic in nature. Whether you adhere to the vegan lifestyle or if you consume dairy and meat products, you should always look for organic products and local suppliers that only use sustainable methods of production.
You can nowadays find such suppliers online that sell bulk whole foods so that you can stock up on healthy fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, spices, and even superfoods. This is a good option when you want whole foods delivered to your door, but also when you want to make sure that you’re getting all ingredients from reputable local providers. When you shop locally, you support the local economy, aid the preservation of Mother Nature, and you directly support sustainability.
Work with the resources you have
Over the years, various foods that are not in season have become available in supermarkets. Genetic modifications of foods and crops have allowed global corporations to keep certain products in circulation all year round, which goes against nature and supports devastation, excess water consumption, and ruins local businesses.
If you want to practice mindful cooking and lead a healthier lifestyle, you will banish GMOs from your life and choose only the products that are in season. Cooking with seasonal products will bring variety to your recipes and it will also inspire you to try out new and exciting combinations.
Practice makes perfect
Lastly, always remember that practice makes perfect, so don’t expect to become a creative, innovative, or mindful chef on the first try. It’s important to stay dedicated and consistent to imbue the cooking process with mindfulness and creativity, so don’t lose heart if things don’t go as planned the first couple of times.
Start with simple yet rewarding recipes and practice them until you’re truly satisfied with the results. Move onto more challenging dishes and regard the whole process as an opportunity to build mental fortitude, zeal, and positivity through trial and error. In the end, practice is what will help you transform many other areas of your life.
Over to you
Cooking can be fun, or it can be a daunting challenge. It can also transform your life in many ways if you let it, so be sure to use these tips to make cooking a rewarding process that will elevate your mindfulness and enrich your life with health and happiness.
About the author:
Sophia Smith is a lifestyle blogger, graphic designer and food enthusiast. She is very passionate about eco-friendly and green topics, sustainable fashion, eco beauty, and conscious business. Sophia’s other hobbies centre around her love for yoga, wellness rituals and living in balance with nature. She loves sharing meaningful content that inspires people and has covered topics ranging from organic beauty products and sustainability to self-care and mental health.
Sophia has contributed to a number of publications including Longevity Live, Naughty Nutrition, Herbs Mother Earth Living, Sivana Spirit, Urban Naturale, Awaken, Carousel, Literally Darling and Cause Artist.
You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter (@sophia_bri)
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