Well-Fed and Malnourished

For as far back as I can remember, I loved to cook for others. Spending a day or an afternoon cooking, experimenting with flavors and textures, then gathering friends around a table or on the floor of my living room fed my soul.

Whether I’m cooking for one person or a crowd, it’s a labor of love.

But cooking for myself has always been different. It takes longer to cook and clean up than it does to eat.

When I feel “busy” with work or demands, cooking a meal for myself feels like an ineffective use of time. In the time it takes to cook a meal I could be doing other things. It’s more efficient to heat up a frozen meal or order in.

The time to cook a meal can easily feel like an obstacle in the way of getting other things done. Indeed, for some people — such as the techies in Silicon Valley who swear by Soylent — even the time it takes to eat a meal feels like the obstacle.

What happens to our quality of life when we look at our most basic human needs as obstacles in the way of our getting to where we want to go?

When even eating takes too much time, how can we hope to create space for rest and other essential components of a healthy life?

Beyond Nutrients

Eating is not just about putting nutrients into the physical body. If that were the only outcome we could all walk around hooked to IV drips.

Eating, and food in general, is about nourishing the body and the spirit. It’s about feeding the senses, taking part in nature, creating with the gifts of the land.

What happens when eating becomes about nourishing?

Perhaps we find that we make better decisions about what we eat.

What happens when the entire process of cooking becomes about nourishing ourselves?

We can elevate what we eat through the ritual of cooking, preparing our food. Eating nourishes the body but cooking nourishes the soul and creative spirit.

I’ve reframed my cooking for myself — and even the clean up — in these terms. I have found that investing time in activities that provide deep nourishment gives me more time. It gives me energy.

Well-Fed and Malnourished

Cooking is not just an obstacle on the way to getting physical sustenance. The activity itself is an act of radical self care.

What if we consider all of our actions through this lens?

At every decision point we can ask:

What would be most nourishing for me right now?

Notice what new options show up in that moment that weren’t present before.

Get curious as you investigate the difference in how you show up for your work, in the energy you bring to your relationships, when you feel nourished versus simply nutritionally satisfied.

Many of us are well-fed, with not shortage of food options. Yet we are malnourished. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, creatively. We consume without considering how our consumption impacts us.

When you cook your own food, you consider what you’re eating.

Consider this across all realms of life. What are the activities that feel like wastes of time that you can turn into opportunities for nourishment?

Now is a perfect time to consider your nourishment needs.

How will you nourish yourself this week?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please share in the comments.