Hurry, the clock ticks and as each second passes the day’s lengthy schedule is soon to begin. There is no time for cooking, and especially not cleaning.
So, throw a plastic container full of promised nutrients into the microwave, and let the 2-minute heat waves cook mushy chemicals into morning’s encouragement.
Preparing food has become an inconvenience, and it seems almost impossible to incorporate cooking into an already busy agenda
Fortunately, trustworthy food corporations of America recognize the hard-working members of this country and provide a vast selection of instant cuisine perfect for those on the go.
With simplicity and ease, frozen foods and instant meals are prepared in minutes, but at what cost?
Preservatives, stabilizers and dyes found in these products cause hazardous side effects.
Added directly into the dining experience for preserving, an overexposure to these products damage the human body.
Thyroid and immune system failure, growth and metabolic disorders, neurotoxicity as well as behavioral and learning difficulties are just a few of the side effects from chemicals consumed by Americans daily.
In 2023 Americans purchased less than 10% of their daily average of 4,000 calories on food prepared at home. The remaining 90% of calories were spent on instant and frozen foods, snacks or restaurants, according to USDA’s
Economic Research Service. CDC reports show the prevalence of morbid obesity has steadily increased by 9.4% in the U.S. within the last 10 years.
As American’s physical health rapidly declines, so does their mental health.
Major depression is the most common mental disorder in the Country, with 61% of adults aged 18 and older receiving treatment for depression according to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
It isn’t breaking news learning nutrients put into the body affect how it functions, but knowing almost every product in a grocery store has directly or indirectly been in contact with harsh chemicals actively killing us is.
Rushing from one place to another makes cooking seem like a chore, but it is purest form of self-love anyone can practice.
Setting aside time to prep, cook, dine and clean shouldn’t be daunting. Not every meal has to be complicated and picture perfect.
Carrots, celery, tomatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, spinach with fresh garlic and shallots on top of basmati rice seasoned with umami and black pepper. It sounds like a mouthful but is easy to prepare.
Roasting potatoes and cooking rice in the oven is mindless. While those cook, I chop away while listening to a new album or podcast.
After the short 5-minute dice, I sauté the remaining vegetables in a pan with avocado oil then add everything in a bowl once it’s all finished.
This time taken to prepare something for myself, knowing I made it for me, and I get to enjoy it and clean it up is therapeutic. I control every step for myself. If there is a mistake the fun thing about cooking, is it can be turned into something new.
Experimenting with new flavors and deciding for myself if I like it, without the critique of others, makes it even more exciting.
With the Country’s daily overwhelming news, this time to slow down and nourish myself through my own actions allows me to realize my strength and power to prevail.
I’ve never been one for self-affirmations or grounding techniques, and I’m not capable of meditating. Therapists would give me homework to practice those techniques, but it never worked. I just gave up on it, believing I wasn’t made to sit down and relax.
But after establishing a cooking routine in my daily life, I began to realize preparing a well-balanced meal, I can feel and interact, with was therapy.
When life gets out of control, anxious and overstimulating, there is no better way to get out of that than through self-serving actions like cooking.
