When you talk about using food for comfort or inner peace, it’s easy to think of those who may have a poor relationship with food. It’s easy to become overweight if comfort eating is part of your daily ritual for handling stress, especially if you don’t eat in moderation. However, that’s not the full story. After all, those of us who taste our mothers’ or grandmothers’ cooking often taste our childhoods, which is why so many recipes passed down in our families are valuable.
Better yet, there’s arguably nothing more peaceful and comforting than sitting down to a good meal. The meal is of course the central point of it all, but the whole ambience and comfort matter greatly too.
This makes us wonder what kind of food can bring about the most comfort and inner peace, and what you might eat when feeling tranquil or in need of something to cheer you up, but without overdoing it or falling into bad habits.
In this post, we’re going to give that a try:
Slow Food That Provides An Experience
When food takes time, it’s often a gentle labor of love that builds excitement and can help you make your kitchen environment sing. Soups that simmer all afternoon fill the house with smells that tell your brain good things are coming, for example, and with that your body relaxes without you even noticing. This might be why grandma’s cooking hits differently, because it wasn’t rushed between meetings or made while checking emails. The act of slowing down to make something like a proper stew or bread from scratch becomes meditative in itself. The stirring, the kneading, the tasting along the way all pull you into the present moment. Some might even enjoy a glass of red or delta 8 tincture to complement it. Food made this way tends to be more satisfying in smaller amounts, so you feel content without overdoing it.
Create Rituals Around Eating
Food tastes better when it’s not eaten over the sink or scrolling through your phone, and so having a proper place at the table, even just for yourself, sends a message that this moment matters. Maybe light a candle, use the nice plates, or put on music that makes you happy. Japanese tea ceremonies shows us just how the experience itself and the journey you go through is so important, as they transform a simple drink into a peaceful experience. You don’t need anything that formal, but small choices like always having weekend breakfast at the table or making Sunday dinner something special will give you anchors in your week and even your family.
Choose Foods That Sustain Mood
Some foods give a quick high then drop you off a cliff an hour later, including most filled with sugar or many baked goods. These are fine in moderation of course, but if you’re looking for something that helps give you a gentle uplift, complex carbs like oatmeal or sweet potatoes release energy slowly and keep you balanced. Some foods that are rich in omega-3s like salmon or walnuts are really great for brain health and mood regulation too. Even a banana has compounds that helps your body produce more serotonin. None of this means you need to give up chocolate when you need a lift, just pair it with something like almonds to slow down the sugar rush. You don’t have to be perfect but choosing more substantive and healthier options can help you see diet and comfort in a different life.
With this advice, you’re certain to go about finding comfort through food the right way.
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