Food is Medicine. Routine is Medicine.

I laid down last night at 8:30 pm. My husband walked in, giving me an unamused look, “most people stay up later and later in quarantine when they can’t work but not Eleacia, you get up earlier and earlier.”

What can I say, routine calms me. Not everyone shares this sentiment and maybe I’m one of ‘those’ that truly believe all things workout in the end. Maybe not as we willed but as they needed to happen.

The silver lining with all this time, I have reconnected with cooking! Cooking is something my great grandmother did, my grandmother did and my mother did so it was a natural progression that home cooked meals are a staple in my home.

Spending time in the kitchen feels like a lost art… I am by no means an amazing chef. I rotate through about 10 meals and change out one or two as I get bored with them. I create a huge mess, spill things and often fail to properly measure ingredients so it never turns out the same. But I LOVE it. Creating something delicious and amazing from individual ingredients.

Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.” - Anthony Bourdain

Food Should be Fun

Food should be fun, eating should be enjoyable. There should be color, conversation and maybe a couple meals with fine wine and cheese or maybe a few at 3 am with a good friend and a box of Kraft mac n’ cheese.

Getting in the kitchen can feel daunting to some, maybe even a bit overwhelming so ordering take out or nuking something is easier. Meal planning and prepping does not need to be an overwhelming task.

+ Start with one meal of the day. If you struggle with dinner, that's your meal. + If you're struggling with having free access to your fridge or the free delivery options many food services are offering, then prioritize an eating schedule. Eating in regular intervals will reduce cravings to insure your body has constant nutrients and avoid binge eating. Same goes for those that find it hard to eat under stress. + Do you find it easy to pour a glass of wine at 4 pm? Try a kombucha or a mocktail. They look fancy and taste nummy without the alcohol. + Do NOT meal prep to lose weight, especially if you are feeling the stress of a worldwide pandemic. Plan meals that are going to give you lots of color, ones you can involve your kids in the cooking process and honestly, ones that fit into a time frame. If you are limited on time, take that into account when planning a menu. + Lastly, invest in a CSA and shop at a local Farmers Market for your groceries. It is a fun way to get involved in the cooking process and often a good way to kill an hour or so if you have kids at home. Getting in the kitchen is much bigger than the single act of cooking. It is the planning process, going to the market, holding the ingredients in your hands, smelling the produce, talking to the farmer, prepping the food, all the way to enjoying the fruit of your labor. It is a key element that defines us as humans.

Creating a Routine that includes meal planning and prepping is Medicine. Food is Medicine.

xoxo, Eleacia