Quality Questions for Mindful Meals
Mindful eating is a powerful practice that can enhance the quality of your meals and increase enjoyment. It is interesting to note that the criteria I used for this mindful eating - such as the balance of flavors, creativity of the chef, and mastery of cooking techniques - align with the Michelin Guide's rigorous rating system for restaurants.
Are you present and fully engaged in the experience?
Have you taken a moment to consider your surroundings, your company, and your gratitude for the meal?
Have you checked in with your level of hunger and ensured that the amount of food on your plate is in line with your needs?
Before you begin eating, have you determined how much you want to eat?
Have you taken a moment to appreciate the beauty in front of you, including its presentation, color, ethnicity, seasonings, flavor, and texture?
Does the dish achieve a balance of flavors, without overpowering?
Is the promised flavor profile present and satisfying?
Are the textures enjoyable, with a variety complementing each other?
Does the dish demonstrate mastery of techniques and cooking methods?
Is there a level of creativity in the dish that sets it apart from others?
By following this order of questions, you can infuse your dining experience with mindfulness and intention, taking the time to appreciate the beauty of the food which can help you to truly savor and enjoy every aspect of your meal.
Virtuoso of Vitality
"Notice that the stiffest tree is mose easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind" - Bruce Lee
Hello there, health explorers! Imagine if you could become a virtuoso, not of a musical instrument, but of vitality! Well, today we're unlocking the doorway to a vibrant, holistic approach to wellness. Together, we'll embark on a journey to uncover the HCN method, a belief of balance that borrows ancient healing harmonies from around the world.
Just like a composer creates a masterpiece with a multitude of musical notes, our wellness journey weaves its narrative from various wisdoms — Unani, Traditional African Medicine, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each has its unique melody but resonates with the same universal truth: Food, body, and mind are inextricably interlinked.
Let's picture our plate as an artist's canvas.
Each color, each texture, is not just a visual delight but a vital nutrient.
You'd be amazed at the symphony of flavors and health benefits a humble medley of vegetables can offer when prepared with care, imagination, and spice."
Unani
A traditional system of medicine that has its roots in ancient Greek medical teachings, especially the works of Hippocrates (often referred to as the "Father of Medicine") and Galen. It was further developed and refined in the Islamic world, particularly in the Arabic-speaking regions, during Islamic Golden Age (8th to 13th centuries). This led to the assimilation of Greek medical knowledge with Islamic perspectives and practices, resulting in the development of what we now know as Unani medicine which emphasizes a holistic approach to health and well-being, focusing on achieving a balance between the body, mind, and spirit.
Guided by Mizaj, Unani nourishment dances with the elements—foods categorized as hot, cold, moist, or dry, are used to mirror our temperament and create balance within. Moderation is its melody. Overindulgence is believed to disrupt balance, while cleanliness is believed to contribute to it. In its apothecary, Unani gathers a treasure trove of herbs and plants, painting our diet with nature's palette. This vivid mosaic of herbal remedies is believed to restore vitality.
African Traditional Healing
Resonating with these beacons of balance, African traditional healing adds its chorus of ancestral wisdom, believing in harmony, community, and spiritual unity. The principles of TAM that speak to me, and I believe will to you as well, include the importance of mind-body practices like dance, music, and storytelling that uplift the spirit. Social connection is integral to emotional well-being. Sharing meals with friends or connecting to themes like respect for the generations that came before you can provide a sense of rootedness. Additionally, traditional staple foods, from millet to yams, are often rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, and incorporating complex carbs into our diet today not only honors tradition but is a nourishing way to get sustainable energy.
Ayurveda
During my immersive Yoga TTC experience in Rishikesh, India, I delved into the profound realm of Ayurveda, often hailed as the 'Mother of All Healing.' This ancient tradition traces back 5,000 years and offers a holistic system of medicine and well-being, offering guidance to achieve optimal health through balance.
Ayurveda offers us the concept of Doshas, guiding us towards foods that help us maintain our unique equilibrium. It also encourages harmonizing with the cadence of the day, the seasons, and the stages of life. This timeless wisdom led me to recognize the importance of stoking the digestive fire, Agni, with the purity of Sattva (foods filled with positive energy) during the hours of peak sunlight. By doing so, you kindle your digestive system to mirror the radiance of the stars.
Chinese Traditional Medicine
And like a gentle echo from the East, Traditional Chinese Medicine writes of Qi, Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements – the marvelous nature of self-healing that resides within us.
TCM views the body as a complex system of interconnected channels through which vital energy (Qi) flows and offers a profound approach to enhancing health in the modern age, reflecting an intricate dance between our internal energies and the world around us.
Delve into activities that breathe vitality into your Qi, igniting radiant ripples through every fiber. Nurture your spirit with practices that feed the soul—be it the rhythmic cadence of deep breathing or the tender pages of a journal where thoughts unfurl like petals in the morning sun. Balance Yin and Yang by adapting your lifestyle to your body's natural rhythms—rest when tired, and engage in active pursuits when energized. Align with the natural rhythms of the seasons. Just as nature shifts, so should our habits and activities. In essence, TCM's wisdom invites us to recognize the dynamic interplay of energy.
But our journey doesn't end with what we eat (which I recommend leaning into the wisdom of Micheal Pollan when he says "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants") but lets dig deeper into how we eat. Do we rush through our meals, or do we savor each bite, each color, each texture, the true flavor? By tuning into the culinary experience, we learn not just to eat but to truly taste our food.
Take inspiration from nature-kissed diets like the Mediterranean and Japanese, where fresh ingredients take center stage. By doing so, it'll be like food as top notch fuel. Embrace the gentle guideline of 'Hara Hachi Bu' from Okinawa, eating until eight parts full. And lean your palate towards alkaline plant-based dishes, befriend beauty-enhancing foods, beware of combos rarely found in nature such as high fat and sugar together, and keep your gut happy with probiotic-rich fermented choices."
Remember, our food is but a single note in the symphony of holistic health. Everything from movement to mindset contributes to our wellness. So, let's dance with grace and balance, let's spin with joy, and find solace in silence and grounded activities. Don't underestimate the potency of a genuine smile or the therapeutic power of silence; they are as essential to health as the very air we breathe.
Join me, as we dance between recipes and philosophy, to not only add years to life but life to our years. So, are you ready to dive into this tantalizing world of living well?
If you enjoyed this health expedition, please like, share, and subscribe. See you in the next video!
And here's a little bonus, that I didn't put in the video but thought you might appreciate (:
Other Healing Traditions
While these four healing modalities are perhaps my favorites, in our quest for well-being, we're blessed with a wide range of healing traditions from around the world. Drawing inspiration from these ancient schools enriches our modern lives.
Throughout my explorations, I've unearthed a common thread of immersion—a profound connection that reverberates across cultures. In Native American Wisdom, it finds expression in the enveloping steam of sacred sweat lodges. The Korean and Japanese traditions echo this through nature's embrace in tranquil walks, where our footsteps harmonize with the earth's heartbeat. The serene temples of Tibet carry the gentle scent of frankincense, kindling relaxation and meditation through the art of mantra recitation—a cherished oil that finds favor in my partner's heart, nurturing skin health and holistic well-being by shaking 3 drops of Frankincense under her tongue each morning.
Returning to the realm of nourishment, Indigenous healing beckons us to embrace the joy of communal cooking, fostering unity through shared culinary creations. Korean tables showcase the brilliance of fermented fare, igniting vibrant gut health. Miso, a jewel of fermented soybean paste, graces our dishes with umami and nurtures gut health by delivering probiotics and aiding digestion. The timeless elegance of tea ceremonies, a hallmark of Traditional Japanese Medicine, becomes a dance of mindfulness, as we sip in the present moment.
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