Good Food for Good Health

My little 4-year-old Mila is learning the “eat your rainbow” song! She is a big fan of fruits and vegetables at every meal. Kids are a big lesson to show us that eating clean starts at early age. It is habits that change our tasting buds and choices. Eat your rainbow focuses on filling half of our plates with colored veggies and fruits, and the rest is left for healthy carb, protein, and fats. Natural food in its least processed shape is the healthy choice for us. Mediterranean cuisine is an amazing choice, and as a Lebanese, I am proud that Lebanese food is an excellent example of this theory.

To keep it simple, look for food in its simplest form, go low on processed and packaged food, stay away from food additives, and try to mix ingredients of different colors for an extra rich dish !

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Good Food for Good Mood

Food is the common denominator that brings all living together; we need food to survive. While it differs between cultures, everyone can agree that a homemade meal is best to uplift the mood and energy. There are two types of good foods:

1. Happy Foods: food rich in vitamins that affect us physiologically by raising our serotonin, the happy chemical they call, for a brief explanation.

2. Comfort Foods: you know it when you smell it and remember old memories or think of it when you’re not feeling ok. These are foods that help us psychologically and boost our mental and emotional state.

As a mom of two, and an expat living away from home for more than a decade now, my kitchen is my comfort place to create memories be it my kids’ bday cakes or a challenge with my mom to pass the traditional recipes quiz !!! After many years of yo-yo dieting and deprivation of labeled food categories, i now know that good food is the key to a good life, and a good relation with food is the key to good health.

Feed yourself good food, and surround yourself with good people, much love ❤

Easy Cookies Recipe

Morning snacks are my ritual as I tend to wake up early, and by 11:00 am, I look forward to sitting and enjoying a coffee cup with a small treat. This recipe is perfect with milk or coffee. A straightforward cookie recipe that is relatively less in calories than the store-bought ones, it is also customizable to any taste or occasion.

From the photos, you will notice that the cookies are a bit brownish; I like to bake with coconut sugar; it is a healthy natural option that adds a lovely color and unique aroma to my sweet bakes. I will share my top favorite type at the end of the article. I want to note here that is an amazon affiliation link, for which I will get a small share of the profit at abosuletly no additional cost for you.

Oil-based vs. butter-based cookies

In this batch, I used vegetable oil, and it gave me the same flavor and result as when I used butter in previous batches. I guarantee you will be able to mix and shape this recipe in half an hour.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs with little vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil, coconut oil adds a nice flavor here.
• 1 cup of your preferred sugar ( I used coconut sugar)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Steps

• Heat the oven at medium temperature while preparing the cookies.
• Prepare the pans with parchment papers on top.
• Mix the wet ingredients first, then start adding the sugar, flour, and baking powder.
• Once the dough is formed, you can roll between 2 parchment papers or plastic wrap
• Then cut the shape you desire with a cookies cutter or any round shape you have; check the end of the post for the link to my favorite brand.
• Another method is to use the cookie press maker and check the article’s end for the link to my favorite brand.
• Once pans are filled with cookies, bake for 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Remove to cool down; you can serve it or fill it with your favorite chocolate spread, jam, or any else.

Check the photo for inspirations; it is worth noting that the cookies are mild in sweetness as I used chocolate spread for filling; if you intend to serve without filling, I suggest adding two tablespoons extra sugar.

Follow my Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/bake.2.meditate/ for the full video

If you are looking for a cookie press set, check this one

https://amzn.to/3ATWJch

This is my favorite coconut sugar

https://amzn.to/3hZtCeU

This is the easiest handy cookie set

https://amzn.to/3r4M6Pk

P.S: the above are amazon affiliate links, I am an amazon associate and I will get a tiny portion of the sale profit at no additional cost for you. It is the only way I can manage to develop my website content.

Before you start a new diet : Notice your eating

We keep reading about clean eating and its importance; I even believe in it and try to accommodate it for at least 70% in my weekly plan, but what are the other types, read along and reflect on your day.

1. FUEL eating, which in other words is clean eating. When we eat minimally processed food to nourish ourselves.

2. FUN eating: eating what we love; it tastes wonderful and maybe does not give any nourishment in return.

3. FOG eating: eating with 0 awareness. You know you are fog eating when suddenly the plate is empty, or you do not remember what and how. Yes, eating kids’ food crumbs count too!!

4. STORM eating: this is the definition of binge eating; you are aware, you want to stop but just cannot. This leads to a dramatic cycle of shame and deciding to start dieting on Monday.

Now that I explained these four, briefly reflect on your week or day. What happened, when it happened, and how do you feel? You cannot fuel eat at 100%; we are humans, and food is a pleasure. Aim for 80% fuel 20% fun.
If a storm or fog happened today, observe and reflect. There is always a next meal where you can give yourself better care. Take it one meal at a time, no restrictions, no shaming.

Happy eating 💚

Mindful bites for a healthier lifestyle

Every day is an opportunity to take care of ourselves, and every meal is an opportunity to nourish our bodies. Our eating habits go way past our generation; we inherited many of our habits from our parents and grandparents. While so many are still in place, unfortunately, our obesity rates have increased, and people suffer from chronic diseases starting at a very young age. Below are some points to consider if you decided that today is the day to live a better life.

Mindful Eating

When I was introduced to mindful eating, I thought it is a magical diet where my mind will control my appetite and lose all the extra weight; oh, I was wrong !!!

Mindful eating is not a diet; it is the practice of trying to be present and paying attention to the Now! Most of us are wired to be on autopilot when it comes to food; we eat because it is time, or we just finished work or want to finish and do other essential things. Too much distraction is standing in our way.

Mindful eating is observing our body, what it needs, and what it wants. Putting all distractions aside, stress, drama, boredom, news, all of that. Just find a place to sit and eat that food; I recommend reading Tich Nhat Hanh’s books on mindful eating, including “Savor.”

Please do not focus on what you eat and how much at the start; observe and notice your body and its messages.

Food Labeling: Good vs. Bad

Are you familiar with the forbidden fruit syndrome? The fruit that is forbidden is the most we want to have. It is funny every time I visit a diet center and receive a diet plan with a red list; I start craving these right away!

Labeling food as good or bad reflects how we perceive ourselves; we fail if we eat bad food and feel proud if we survived all restrictions for a day or a week before we fail again.

Try this instead, look at food as joyful nourishment; remember your body needs carbs, protein, fat, and fiber. Look at your week plan, you have at least twenty-one meals. Aim to eat in moderation for most of them; it is ok if some were less nutritious. Practice self-compassion and enjoy the food; if you see a pattern in your food choices, look a bit deeper; maybe there is a reason behind it.

What is in your shopping trolley

This is one of the best practices to start with; remember, we do not need to label food as good or bad. Think about it this way; grocery shopping is investing your money in what adds value to your nutrition:

– We want food that is the closest to its nature: the best example is fresh produce.
– We want food that sustains our energy levels and filled with nutrients
– We want carbs, proteins, fiber, and fats.
– We want food that makes us happy after we eat it, not starving, regretting, nor shaming.
– Always keep a room to try a new item, one new item to explore.

Do not go super strict on yourself, neither waste your money on short-term pleasures. Swap your money with valuable nutrition.

Get Label Savvy

How much do you know about food labeling? We do not need to be certified nutritionists to have basic knowledge about what goes in our mouths. I’ll give you some quick tips below:

1. Ingredients: this is where all that goes in your food is listed. All ingredients are listed in order by weight, so if the first item you read is sugar, then most of that food is sugar!! Try to look at the back of a chocolate bar, 99% chance the main ingredient is sugar, even if it is promoted as 75% dark chocolate
2. How many ingredients: the best clean food is the one that has no label, no ingredients, but 100% pure something. If you read up to five ingredients, still you’re in an ok zone. More than that, you’re eating processed food.
3. Labels: this is where you see a breakdown of nutrients, calories per serving and how many servings the pack includes. Pay attention to the number of servings, especially the lightweight food such as cereals, Biscuits, and similar.
4. Fancy attractions: beware of fat-free, light, 0, reduced. This kind of food marketing is a trap when you do not read the labels carefully.

Resign from the clean plate club

Raise your hands if you grew up in a home where clearing your plate is your only way to have dessert, playtime, or even excused from the table.

Our parents had the best intentions to provide us with nourishment and grow respect for the food on our plates. But, unfortunately, we grew up ignoring our body signals, building unhealthy habits, and struggling with our weight to too many. If you’re a member of the “clean your plate club,” here is your way out:

– Start with meal prepping: if you cook nourishing food, everyone will end up with the right choice.
– Serve smaller: you can try serving on smaller dishes, or serve a smaller portion than usual, allowing a second refill if needed.
– Fight the food waste fear; if you leave food on your plate, you do not necessarily need to throw it. There is always a container, no matter how small you leave.
– Leftovers are perfect for new recipe recreation.
– Be mindful; check your hunger/full signals.
– Work it one meal at a time; you’re breaking a lifelong habit.

As a mom of two, I know I have pushed my daughters to eat and finish their greens when not hungry. I even ate their crumbs so many times. Mindful eating helped me to start right and making things better, one bite at a time. There is always the next meal to make it worth it.        

Sweet Potato Brownies

How lucky it is when you find a vegetable that is healthy, starchy, and naturally sweet!

If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, enjoy carbs and feel proud to be healthy, keep reading as this recipe is yours.

Sweet potatoes have earned their “superfood” titles for so many reasons; rich in nutrients, especially vitamin A and C, high in fibers that make our gut healthy, have good amounts of potassium and magnesium that help our heart health. The best bonus is that they are naturally sweet and can be cooked and prepared in infinite ways to enrich our diet.

This brownie recipe is the perfect proof that we do not need to ditch the sweets when you can make them healthy; you can enjoy your desserts with zero guilt. You can make this recipe 100% #vegan and #glutenfree . I love these sweet potato brownies as a lazy weekend dessert; Naturally sweet and rich in flavor. Just add all ingredients together and bake at medium heat for 25 minutes. These should be enough for an 8×8 or 9×9 pan

Ingredients
– 1 cup of mashed sweet potatoes
– 1/2 cup fat of choice ( i used coconut oil)
– 1/2 cup sweetener of choice ( i used 1/4 maple syrup and 1/4 coconut sugar)
– 1/2 cup flour of choice ( i used whole meal flour)
– 1/4 cup cocoa powder
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla, cinnamon
– pinch of salt
– 1/4 cup of almonds, chocolate chip, marshmallows ( any topping of choice).

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📝 Sweet potatoes to be baked and cooled before use, skin removed, you can use the microwave, steamer, you can boil them. As long as they are well cooked.
📝Perfect for freezing, you can bake and, once cooled, wrap each piece separately and freeze as much as you want to save for next time.
📝 brownies last in an airtight container in the fridge for almost a week.
📝 when ingredients mixed; if mix is dry add little bit of yogurt or milk. If too wet, 1 tablespoon of flour should do.

If you like this recipe, please press the like button. I will be happy to see your version when you bake it; feel free to tag my Instagram and Facebook pages. Use #bakewithyasmine.

Happy baking

Reference

Julson, E., 2019. 6 Surprising Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes. [online] Healthline. Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sweet-potato-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8&gt; [Accessed 20 June 2021].

 

Savory Marrow Tart from scratch

Can be made eggplant/ zucchini

Every weekly grocery shopping, I always buy at least one kilo of baby marrows; I love their taste, color, tenderness, and adaptability to any flavors. In my hometown, Marrows are staple veggies in every house. The perfect recipe is stuffed marrows with rice and minced meat, or call them “Mehshi Koussa.” I promise I will post this recipe soon.  

To make this savory tart, you need to build three equally important parts: the crust, the marrows, and the filling. When I say tart, you may think about the immense amount of butter I need to make a perfectly baked pâte brisée, but this recipe is different. Keep on reading!

My recipe is a bit different from others because I love to eat as clean as possible and always attempt to increase nutritional value and minimize unnecessary calories.

Part one: The Crust

A bit of flour and extra virgin olive oil can do wonders; I used a 20cm round baking pan:

• 250 grams flour of choice (I recommend an equal mix of cornmeal and wholemeal)
• 70 grams extra virgin olive oil
• 60 ml water
• One garlic clove minced
• Salt & pepper

The steps are as simple as 1,2,3: mix the olive oil with the flour and seasoning. Add the water little by little until the dough forms. Transfer the dough to a baking pan covered with parchment paper and try your best to apply the same thickness on the bottom and sides. You need two to three cm sides (enough to cover the width of the marrow).

Once done, with a fork, try to poke the dough and bake for five minutes in a medium heat oven, just enough for the crust to harden. Set aside to cool.

Part two: The Marrows

Marrows are tender and filled with water, so the best is to bake them a little before building the tart to avoid the moist.

• Half kilo of marrows, around six medium-sized marrows (hint: this recipe is perfect with eggplant and zucchini)
• Two tablespoons of nutritional yeast (they are an excellent addition for their nutritional benefits, cheesy flavor, and flaky texture as bread crumbs)
• Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Cut the marrows into slices of 3 mm; you do not need very thin slices as they will burn and very thick will take time to cook. Mix with the seasonings and olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes in a medium to high heat oven. It would be best if you had them soft enough to shape but not well cooked. Set aside to cool for ten minutes.

Part three: The filling

This filling will be the glue in this recipe; Marrows are known for their mild flavor. We do not want a strong filling taste to hide the marrow’s flavor.

• One cup of milk of choice (I used low-fat milk)
• One egg
• One tablespoon of flour
• Salt, pepper, paprika, nutmeg, garlic powder

No need to cook the filling, whisk and make ready.

Building the marrow tart

I use the word building a lot, probably because of my architectural educational background. For me, a recipe is built the same way as any other project. Importance must be given equally to all parts and steps.

Now we can lay the marrows over the crust, trying to shape them like a flower; they look beautiful once baked. Pour over the filling and cover with shredded cheese. The tart will need twenty-five minutes to bake at medium heat. Let rest ten minutes before slicing.

This recipe can be a side dish, but it is perfectly filling on its own. Pair it with a nice bowl of your favorite soup, and you can call it a treat.

If you like this recipe, please press the like button. I will be happy to see your version when you bake it; feel free to tag my Instagram and Facebook pages. Use #bakewithyasmine.

Happy baking

 

Beetroot and walnuts bread Recipe: Yes, I can Bake!

My story with baking started as an escape from my long tiring full-time job; I used to come home late at night feeling stressed and overwhelmed. I tried meditation and listening to calming music, nothing worked at first with me, as my head would wander and start making to-do lists, shopping lists, even meeting appointments and drama work stuff. Baking on the opposite grounded my mindset; I was able to switch off, focus on the recipe, finding a calming rhythm while measuring, mixing, kneading. What is better, it was rewarding. You end up with great baked bread, dinner, or even sweets.

This Beetroot bread is an exercise of mindful eating that I wanted to experiment with: making nutritious food that rewards your body while still called Carbs! If you are recovering from the diet drama like me, you will understand how enjoying carbs was taboo in the diet communities.

Feel free to scroll down to the recipe ingredients, or keep reading for very interesting facts.

Beetroot and Walnuts Benefits

Beetroot or beets as commonly known, are famous for their fancy color, but there is more to that, count with me: it is Low in calories, loaded with vitamins and nutrients. Beets contain nitrates which make our heart happy and blood pressure in control. Needless to say, that is filled with dietary fibers that benefit our digestion and consequently other body organs.

Walnuts are a great source of healthy fats, perfect nutrition for our brain, skin, heart. Although they are high in calories, I used a small amount in this recipe.

Home-baked vs. Store-bought

I cannot argue enough how homemade is always the best choice for very obvious reasons. First, you know what you put in your cooking or baking. Second, you select good materials and reputable brands and know very well what is going in your body.

Store-bought is convenient, I agree, and there are excellent brands that sell high-quality products. So if you have time to invest, I suggest you go for homemade, whether bakes or others. It is cost-effective as well, especially when you have a family to feed.

Always go simple; a little water, flour, and yeast can do wonders; it does not have to be a perfect sourdough or a fancy recipe; go basic and wholemeal flour when you can. I like to try different types of flour such as cornmeal, oat, rye, almond, coconut. It is incredible how recipes turn with a change of flour type.

Hand Kneading vs. Bread Maker

Again no need to invest when you do homemade; hand kneading goes very well; I purchased a bread maker almost eight years ago and have been using it but not in all my recipes. To have a nice good hand knead, you need around fifteen minutes at every round; what a physical exercise, huh? It is good to experiment here. I like the bread maker to mix the dough and let it rise, but I prefer to use a regular oven. When I use the bread maker to bake, the bread ends up a bit dense due to size restrictions. As for taste-wise, both are perfectly fine, and again it goes back to the time factor. If you have enough to invest, go ahead. If not, any alternative will help.

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Ingredients & Steps

This recipe is enough to make a medium-size loaf, around 750 g. As I used a bread maker, its instructions call to start with liquids, then flour, then yeast. Please follow your bread maker instruction; if you are planning to make it by hand, I will list the sequence in a bit:

• Water ¾ cup
• Grated raw beetroot 1 ¾ cups (around 250 g)
• Wholemeal flour 4 ½ cups (around 500 g)
• Butter 2 tablespoons
• Salt 2 teaspoons
• Sugar 1 teaspoon
• Dried yeast 2 teaspoons
• Walnuts 2 tablespoons

For a bread maker, put the item in the above sequence and select the wholemeal program and select the medium size button for hand kneading

1. Mix yeast, sugar, and water together.
2. In a bowl, start with the shredded beetroot, then add the butter at room temperature and mix
3. Add the water mix
4. Add the flour gradually and steer with a spatula until the mix is almost ready and a bit sticky
5. Transfer to a dry clean surface and start kneading while adding the rest of the flour little by little, until the dough forms well and nothing sticks on your hand.
6. Add the walnuts and give another knead, set aside for an hour and a half, covered in a kitchen towel
7. Transfer to your baking pan covered with parchment paper, and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.
8. Let rest before cutting

This bread is very tasty by its own and toasted, i forgot to mention how its color is beautiful as well !!

Hope you like this recipe, if you do, do not forget to press like and share

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

When I think about comfort healthy food, “Shepherd’s Pie” is the answer. A warm, rich, easy-to-make recipe that will make my day. Feel free to scroll down to the end for ingredients and recipe steps.

Shepherd’s pie is perfect because you can prepare in advance and freeze or freeze the leftovers. It is a perfect side dish and a main dish as well. Cheap to make, remarkable in nutritional value, needless to say, you can go vegan, vegetarian, or full fat.

Shepherd’s Pie nutritional facts:

I chose lentils instead of beef; surprisingly, you will get the same protein benefits of this dish as one cup of lentils has around 18 g of protein. It is considered an excellent plant-based protein source. Extra protein credit goes to the cow milk we used with the potatoes.

The fat used in this recipe is extra virgin olive oil, the carb is the potatoes. Shepherd’s pie is an excellent recipe to load with veggies; just check your fridge for any available veggies such as cauliflower, carrots, peas, zucchini, or any else. I used onion, sweet pepper, peas, and carrots in this recipe.

Freezing the meal

I love Shepherd’s Pie because I can prepare it in advance; I cook the lentil with veggies, prepare the Potato mash, arrange the dish, and store it in the freezer. I just let thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before baking.

The recipe is perfect for freezing any leftovers, freezing in an air-tight container, and getting it out when in need of a portion of yummy food.

Working around the recipe

This recipe matches any dietary requests; you can swap the cow milk with any plant-based milk, you can add beef instead of the lentils. For example, is used Nutritional Yeast at the top, but you can use your favorite shredded cheese. You can add tomato paste to the veggies or skip. The result, believe me, will be just fantastic, I tried them all.

Why nutritional yeast

When I was introduced to nutritional yeast, I was not too fond of its texture, it felt like dry powder with cheesy flavor, yet when I knew its great benefits, I decided to give it a try and use more of it. In many recipes, now I use it instead of grated cheese. Some of the nutritional yeast benefits are:

• Boosting energy
• A good source of B-complex, make sure to buy the unfortified kind of nutritional yeast.
• It can lower Cholesterol.
• A good immunity booster
• Low in calories, compared to cheese. So if you want to go less on calorie consumption or aim for vegan food, nutritional yeast is the answer.

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Ingredients: (Enough for three adults, or two adults and two kids)

Potato Mash

• 350 g potatoes, boiled till soft
• 75 ml milk of choice
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg

Lentil Mix:

• 250 g Lentils, go for the green or brown.
• Two Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g peas (I used frozen)
• 100 g carrots, chopped in small squares ( I used fresh)
• One sweet pepper, deseeded and chopped in small squares
• One onion, finely chopped
• One tablespoon tomato paste
• 250 ml vegetable stock or water
• Three tablespoons nutritional yeast, or 100 g shredded cheese of choice.

Directions:

The recipe goes simple easy once you have the potatoes boiled to tender, and the lentil is boiled till tender firm; you can use canned lentils or soak overnight, then wash and boil for 25 minutes or until soft enough but still keeping its shape.

Potato Mash:

• Mash the boiled potatoes, spice with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, add the milk, and mix well until all are mixed. For extra flavor, you can add one egg only if you plan to bake it right away. I do not recommend adding an egg then freezing it before cooking.

Lentil Mix:

• Sautee the onion with olive oil until soft and tender, add the carrots, cook for 5 minutes, add the peas and sweet pepper. Once the mix is tender enough, you can add the tomato paste, the vegetable stock and stir for another 10-15 minutes. You can add 1 tablespoon of flour in some recipes, but with lentil, it is not necessary as lentil is starchy enough.
• Season with salt and pepper. The recipe is nice with chilly flakes, but my kids don’t like it.s
• You can use single ramekins or one family baking dish. It doesn’t matter.
• Grease the baking dish with a bit of oil, add the lentil mix, and spread well.
• Add the potato mash and cover with the nutritional yeast or grated cheese.
• Bake in the middle of the over for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Rocky Road: An easy recipe that my kids made alone

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Look at that!! A must try Rocky Road recipe, simple yet very rich, it is amazing when you combine different ingredients with different texture. The taste is incredible.

Save the post to keep the recipe, with my little tips:

SWEET : 250 g melted chocolate ( your favorite)
SOFT: 15 Marshmellows medium size
CHEWY: 1/3 cup dried fruits, raisins
CRUNCHY: 1/4 cup nuts, we used hazelnut
CRISPY: 6-8 biscuits

Recipe is pretty flexible, you’re creating your favorite flavor so feel free to mix and swap, but keep all textures for better experience.

Melt the chocolate in the mircowave 30 seconds, don’t overheat .

Mix and spread in a pan covered with parchment paper, let cool in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Use a sharp knife to cut the perfect size for your family
Treat it like chocoate, keep it cool
Keep it in airtight container in the fridge, it will last for weeks if they don’t know where you hide it !!

Rocky Road Recipe

Rocky Road Recipe

Losing the extra weight: top 6 tips I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh on mindful eating

Food is around us, everywhere and at any time. It is the kind of friend who is always there for you when you’re stressed, down, or bored. But every good relationship necessitates mutual respect, care, and proper connection. Ever wondered why we eat?

Why do people eat? Is it a need or a want?

It is impossible to compare ourselves to our old ancestors who were insecure, fighting for their presence and going days without food. Once the food was found, they will eat to restore their energy. Most probably, in my opinion, ancestors did not have enough fuel/ calories, if you want to call it. Our days are different; in modern communities, you are hungry, hit the fridge or the supermarket, or even better,  your mobile to order quickly. But is that hunger?

Our senses play a significant role in our daily decisions; Passing by a coke advertisement, smelling that freshly baked Cinnabon, even if you just finished breakfast, make you want it.

What about external social cues? That call from your best friend after she broke up with her boyfriend, so you need to prepare the survival kit; Ice cream, choco-chips cookies, and a box of tissue papers.

We tend to want food because it is a cure for many of our discomforts, treating our stress, socializing, and fighting boredom. But if we love food that much, we better respect it and work on our relationship.

What is mindful eating

Indeed it is not a diet; mindful eating is bringing your conscious awareness to that plate and practicing removing any distraction that is causing you to eat mindlessly.

“Don’t Chew your worries, your fear, or your anger. If you chew your planning and your anxiety, it is difficult to feel grateful for each piece of food. Just chew that food” .

Thich Naht Hanh

Who is Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh is a spiritual leader, peace activist, and poet. He is globally known for his powerful teachings on mindfulness, global ethics, and peace. He has published many books that address mindfulness, “How to eat” and “Savor” are two excellent books I recommend reading.

Top 5 tips I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh

Eat Slowly: Dedicate time, find a place to eat, and pay attention to the food . Slowing down the chewing helps you notice the flavors, texture, and smell. Not only our body needs twenty minutes to signal fullness ( thanks to the brain/gut message exchange), but by eating slowly, you will notice your genuine connection with that food. Give it a try; you will be surprised.

Cook your food: I understand too many believe they cannot; they hate the kitchen or do not know-how.

Cooking is simple once you recognize it as an act of self-care. You do not need expensive utensils to chop a salad or make a warm soup.

Choose: once you know that eating food is self-care, know the source of your food. Is it healthy? Fresh? Does it come from a sustainable source? Am I helping local businesses? Choosing what you eat is exactly the right prescription for your happy health.

Listen to your body: Eat and observe; we are wired and programmed to eat specific times and specific food that socially connects us to our surroundings. You will be surprised by the countless unmindful decisions we take. When you eat, listen to your body; is my body satisfied? Is that why your body wants?

Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude: if only food can talk, it will reveal how many times we abused it! It will take one minute to stop and appreciate that dish full of nourishing ingredients, thanking at heart how it reached your plate.

Following a depriving diet will not fight the extra weight. Undoing your eating habits and embracing mindful eating will fix your relationship with food. Only then can change happen, and the benefits will be countless, not only the number on the scale.

Photo is from Canva.com