I was about 7 years and 9 months old when my little brother was born. Till then I was the youngest child in the family. His birth was also timed with my father getting transferred to a new city. So, there I was, making my proper foray into the kitchen world at about 8 years old trying to help my mom in a new city with a small baby. My father was assigned a job to establish the logistics set up for that part of the country and had to work really long hours. Till then my kitchen sojourns were mostly explorations and observations, exploring every cupboard and shelf for interesting foods and observe the different processes followed by my grandma and my mom on a daily basis.
But now I had to actively participate. Sometimes to feed my brother, sometimes to pick groceries, sometimes to cook, sometimes to clean and sometimes to try and whip up a surprise.
There were no phones, the TV worked only for a couple of hours and there was more than enough time to kill trying and failing at different things. As I grew up the kitchen responsibilities increased. My brother became my favorite guinea pig. We rarely ate out because my parents didn’t really dig the oily, greasy fare served outside and everything else was cooked at home.
I grew up on seasonal vegetables and fruits, fresh bread and cakes, nourishing homemade food made with love, care and technique.
When I eventually stepped out to do my post-graduation, I was no longer offered the luxury of my mom’s kitchen. Although eventually, I turned it around to eating home cooked meals again, by then the dent of McDonald’s, the unhealthy college cafeteria food and college socializing was deep enough to affect my health.
Once again, I had to move cities when I started working. My daily routines were no longer in my grasp as I stayed in a working women’s hostel, YWCA and other places. There was no access to a kitchen. All I could do was making better choices from the food available and available around work. Unmanageable stress along with eating food from restaurants finally landed me into the hot soup of PCOD, aka Polycystic Ovarian Disease, a lifestyle disorder that I am still battling to date, two decades down.
My health started to take a positive turn after I got married and things could be under control again. My relationships with dietitians and nutritionists began in that phase, which eventually motivated me to turn into a health and wellness coach so that I can help myself and others in my journey.
The small luxuries that we take for granted are the key place holders of our health. That’s what is the circle of life. Most times we realize the importance of it by the time it’s too late and we spend most of our lifetimes coming to term with it.
How would you rate home cooking from a scale of 1-10 in your life? What percentage of home food do you eat every day? Do you know how to cook? What all can you cook? All these are key questions to be asked. If you still can’t make up your mind or still aren’t convinced about this important skill and aspect of life, then here are the life-changing benefits:
- Saves money. Eating homemade food is any day cheaper than eating restaurant food.
- You know what’s going into your body. Packaged/Restaurant foods are loaded with unnecessary and harmful ingredients.
- Avoid food allergies and sensitivities. You know what has been cooked and how it has been cooked.
- Portion control. You get to decide how much to cook and eat, which works well for you and your waistline.
- You consume fewer calories and get better quality nutrition.
- The mental health benefits increase when you bond with family and friends over a personally cooked meal.
- Cooking is therapeutic, de-stressing and meditative.
- It helps you plan your day and week in advance so that you can be aware of your health parameters.
- Saves time. Yes, time! A little planning and all you need to invest in is 30 mins average to cook.
- All the above result in a healthier and happier you because nothing in life is one-dimensional.
Do you need help planning your groceries or your pantry? Do you need quick healthy recipes? Do you want to calculate your savings? We are always a phone call or click away @ www.ctrlaltzen.com.
