What is food? Part 1.
- Iliana Lanuza
- 16 mar 2021
- 6 Min. de lectura
I think before I continue writing and talking about good, it could be a good idea to explain what I'm referring too, so we can have a better understanding on why is important to eat well at most times. We know we should do that, however the definition of food has become somewhat complicated and unlimited!
Hello, Welcome to my personal food log " Kitchen and Letters"
Food, food, food, what we hear a lot about food, but is food only what is on you plate? More and more I realize that what is on your plate, as what it's outside of it is as important how we nourish our physical body. So, what is food? When I was studying to become a wellness coach I realize that food was also what is outside of your plate, and that food is strongly interconnected with how we feed ourselves. I have experienced as many of us, when we are going through a rough patch we forget that is important to look after ourselves, we forget to move, to think positive, to see the bright things in life and at the same time, this affects the way we nourish our bodies, normally when we are in a low patch we tend to crave sugary foods to helps us lift our mood, we forget that there are other and more efficient ways that will helps us with that issue. If we change one bad habit it will trigger the other bad ones and it will look like magic, but little by little, habit by habit, we will become more balanced with our health. If you are a smoker, but you are a runner, they possibilities of you quit smoking are higher than if you smoke but do not do any exercise.
Let me put some of the things that I consider food that are outside your plate. In this part I will write about Smells or Aromas, exercise, what we see and Friendship.
Smells:
As you have read in the previous blog entry I'm a big fan of essential oils and natural oil diffusers. I have seen the positive effect of them in my mood and overall in my health. Specially during this hard times, when is hard to focus, stay positive, creative and active. Covid has challenge us as individuals in many ways. I use aromas as a type of " food " to nourish my mind, as a stress release, to help me concentrate, meditate and do home yoga. Therefore I do consider that smells at home are so important, when you enter to a place with a pleasant smell, you feel good and what to stay, if someone is cooking something that you like it can open your appetite. Aromas can help you set the mood and tone of an evening, to start your day. Use aromas to help you focus, and relax. There are smells for every occasion. You can apply them or add them to a diffuser. If you want to know more how to incorporate aromas in your life drop me a line. I will be happy to help you.
Exercise:
This one is easier said than done right? If you are like me, I love when I exercise, but it has taken me a long time to understand what is good for me, what I love to do, and what I will continue to do as a routine. I have never been a gym person, I have tried it several times, but I like the outdoors, I grew up taking walks in the countryside, swimming and later in life I learned to row and kayak. I have tried many sports out there, from tennis to dance classes, I have tried anything that I feel that could help me keep moving and stay healthy. Not many have stick, walking is the one for me, I have loved to walk and walk fast from a young age, I love the freedom of it, the tranquility of it, how I can fix situations in my head, I can actually feel my brain clearing up. Even when sometimes is has not been easy to do, due to safety reasons, I have changed the places where I walk, the days and distance. I have to dogs, so that helps me to stick to a routine, even walking can become tedious, so I change routines from time to time, adding new routes, steps, I stop in the way to take photos, to notice details. Another exercise that has helped me improve my overall health, has been home yoga practice. I took me years to set a habit, and many youtube channels. With home yoga I also feel free, I can do it when every I feel I need an extra push, I do it at my own pace, in very comfortable clothing, with the diffuser on. I will leave a link of my favorite Youtube channels in the link section at the end of this blog entry. Kayaking and rowing is another exercise that I love to do, this is more challenging as it requires of mainly living close to a body of water big enough to challenge you and a rowing or kayak boat, when I get the opportunity to practise, I always take on it. As is very meditative, and is great way to see a place from a different perspective. I consider exercise as food as it nourishes you in so many levels. Exercise I think is anything that will lift your mood, will get your fluids moving, and most important add something that you truly enjoy to do. Keep trying until you find your perfect fit!
What you see:
As a photographer, I tend to be a very visual person, I have always admire to look at "beauty", it inspires me to take care of things, to share and to stop time. Art plays an important role in this " food" It helps our brain to understand our environment. I remember one of the first times I came back from England to visit my family, after staying away over a year( not that London is the most beautiful places on earth) but city wise, landing in Mexico city at the time, with all the chaos, the air and visual pollution helped understand how important is what we see for our mental health and our state of mind, or maybe is me that like to look at things are beautiful( i know this word can mean many things to everyone) for me it has to be orderly, clean, symmetric. When we like what we see, it feeds our senses, a good image or any type or art can transport us, is part of our daily wellness.
Friendship:
If there is an ultimate food for the soul, friendship is one of them. Friends can hold you up, and will hold you when you are down. They will support you no matter what. Not all people are your friends. I'm old enough to share that yes, you will count with real people during difficult times, much less people from those when things are good, but you will find that real friends are there for ever, and that saying that there are some people that if doesn't matter how long it takes you to see them, when you see them or talk to them even if there has been years or many kms distance. Most of the people I care for live far away, some of them too far. Nonetheless every time we speak, they lift me up to the sky. I share with them stories that is not possible to share with other people. Don't get me wrong, I have had the other kind of friends too, those that push you down, and I have been that kind of friend. But sometimes it needed to be on both sides of the story to understand where you are and where you want to go. Every relationship is like a garden, you must look after it, water it, put it in the sun, and let it struggle sometimes, for it to grow. This is one of my favorite foods!
Food is what we think, what we hear, what we breathe, what we touch, what we see, food is everything that helps us to support our whole wellbeing. Our body is interconnected with what we think, smell, touch, with what we see. If what we think is positive and energetic we will send that energy to out brain, and at the same time our brain will send the message to our body, to out heart to pump more or less blood. Thank to all this connections and findings( they are not new finding, if we read old documents in " alternative" medicine, all the information is there, we just need to believe that we are all connected) we can understand how the body and mind help each other like nature helps us, we are interconnected with nature, without sounding like a cliche.
Thank you for reading.
In good Food,
Iliana Lanuza
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