Over the last 10 years, cooking has become a trend, a status symbol and a sign of sophistication in western society. This is a positive trend because it brings people back to their kitchens and drives the market to provide more diverse ingredients and vegetables which eventually promotes more variety in the agricultural system.
But prior to being a trend, cooking has always been an intimate act that nourishes our health and wellbeing on a daily basis. Cooking is like brushing your teeth, taking a shower or keeping your house clean. Cooking is not a hobby, cooking is a life style.
Cooking ensures that we are providing the microorganisms (bacteria) in our intestines with the proper food so they (and us) can keep on flourishing. Our health starts in our intestines and, if the intestines are in good condition, then we are more likely to feel energized and mentally balanced. If the intestines start to accommodate harmful bacteria, then we tend to feel more tired, sluggish and stressed and our mind can become over occupied and disturbed. Eating fast food or not cooking is a direct recipe for distorted physical and mental health. Since modern western people rarely cook on a daily basis, it is perhaps no wonder that physical and mental illness is so widespread.
Cooking can be done by everyone and belongs to everyone. Just like everyone learns the basics of brushing their teeth, everyone should know the basics of how to nourish their bodies and support their health daily.
The most practical way to make cooking an everyday practice is by learning quick and simple recipes and continuously extending your repertoire. Once you start to master the basics and add new dishes, daily cooking will become an automatic habit. If you skip it for one day, you will feel uncomfortable like when you don’t brush your teeth or take a shower.
In my new cookbook Plantbased there are 54 recipes (out of 80 in total) that take less than 20 minutes to prepare, giving you a solid base from which you can make healthy and nourishing meals on a daily basis. Hope these will give you plenty of delicious everyday inspiration!