The Mindfulness of Food

Every person on this earth has a connection to food…because we all must eat. Others have more of a relationship with it in some respects as some of us enjoy cooking or creating artistic, edible masterpieces. Many of us cultivate, protect or provide the ingredients and supplies necessary to produce meals. Food… the word itself is synonymous with nourishment or fuel. I’ve always found it amazing that an integral part of the human experience is that even the youngest and most vulnerable amongst us - babies - learn what food is before they are able to define hunger or can feed themselves independently. Food. A form of sustenance we literally can’t live without. For that, food is vital. For me, food is communal. Food is love. Food can tell a story. Food is unique. Food has culture. Food has been meaningful and impactful throughout my life in a number of ways depending on the chapter we’re discussing. When I reflect on the role food has played in my life, I think and feel so many different things. I have countless warm memories with loved ones centered around food. I used to exist inside a body that had been ravaged by emotional pain and I tended to those invisible wounds with food. Thankfully, my well-being journey in recent years has been to maintain the healthier relationship with food I developed via understanding how its nutrients can sustain me, having better eating habits as it relates to my physical health and learning new ways to prepare it “with love” to feed people near and dear to me. I think a universal truth is that the right food can bring anybody together. Good food satisfies the oral palate and satiates the stomach, but great food touches a person’s soul. We must indeed eat to live, and I think that people should be able to do that in an enjoyable fashion. I found a healthy joy with food when I began building communities around exploring regional and world cuisines, navigating my own health challenges and having to change how and what I ate. No matter where we may go in this world, hopefully we are never far from food. To note, I recognize it is a privilege to experience elevated dining establishments and culinary artistry. If you learn nothing else about me, know that I actively give back to my community in a variety of ways. I have fought against food insecurity and have promoted sustainability for years. My efforts are not perfect and could be better for sure, but food and more importantly - people - matter to me greatly. Creating the Lazy Doctor’s Leftovers was not about simply sharing my dining experiences and restaurant suggestions across my many travels, but to also task people to truly reflect on what’s on their plate; literally and metaphorically. It’s important to practice mindfulness with what we feed our bodies, minds and spirits. You are the greatest project you will ever work on, so take time to call attention to the food on your plate just as much as you attend to your mental and emotional well-being. With that being said, I invite you to journey with me as I experience food and together we can explore how it may be able to play a role in one’s healing - one bite at a time.