Soul Food

Being brought up in the South, I have become quite familiar with soul food. For all those who have not yet discovered this blissfully indulgent cuisine, it is most closely associated with the southern US and the slavery era. Most of the recipes originate from Black/African American, Jamaican, and Caribbean cultures.  The phrase "SOUL FOOD" became popular during the 1960's.  A typical dish is full of fats, starches, cholesterol, and plenty of calories. However, sometimes there is nothing better to me than a plate covered in collard greens, mac and cheese, sweet cornbread, and juicy fried chicken. 

Now, some of you maybe thinking... "I thought this chick was supposed to be a fit, pro-raw eating yogi..." hahhaha :) well I am, but who’s to say that what we put in our bodies only affects of physical health. I like to believe food isn't here just for physical nourishment, but emotional and spiritual as well. 

Though growing up, I never valued the importance of "healthy eating," I did pick up something that many of us never take the time to notice today, the significance of preparation. For me, I never really associated the term "Soul Food" with a specific group of people, era, or even recipes for that matter. Instead, I understand that true soul food is just that, food from the soul. Forget about what the ingredients are, it is the preparation and environment that makes our favorite meals "oh so irresistibly delicious!"

 Some of my most cherished memories come from helping my mother in the kitchen chopping onions, celery and mixing the stuffing for our Thanksgiving meal. I remember when my mother stopped cooking soul food; when she gave into the new technology and the expedited chopping methods of "The Bullet" and other time savvy infomercial gadgets. It broke my heart and somehow her new style of cooking just couldn't measure up to the traditional flavorings of the past.

In an interview with Deborah Kesten of The Soul&BodyConnection, K.L. Chopra commented,

"Prana is the vital life force of the universe, the cosmic force and it goes into          you, into me, with food. When you cook with love, you transfer the love into the food and it is metabolized. In former days (based on the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita), the tradition was for the mother to cook the food with love and then feed it to the children; only then would she eat."

For the past year and a half, I have been traveling Europe in attempt to unite and communicate with various cultures and individuals from all walks of life.  During this time, I have observed countless women prepare food with love for their families, for me, and for our friends. In almost every occasion, the woman always takes her time concocting the meal; being sure to use time-honored approaches and recipes past down, then just as K.L. Chopra concludes, it was only after everyone else was content and properly tended to that “…then would she eat.”

Why is this? Motherly instinct, courtesy, routine? Who’s to say?  Whatever the underlying cause maybe, I think we all can agree that there is something about this process that creates not only a friendly, loving, and uplifting environment, but also fantastic food! Nutrition for our bodies, minds, and souls.

Many cultures all over the world pay tribute to food for more than just nourishment. While most Christians honor the blood and body of Christ through bread and wine at Communion, many southern African Americans appreciate celebrating life and family through their soulful cooking and abundant feasts. Those practicing Judaism follow particular dietary rulings in order to respect the sacredness of life in both plant and animal-based foods; the Chinese regard fare as a medium for connecting with their earliest ancestors and gods. Some cultures, such as Buddhists seek enlightenment by developing a state of meditative mindfulness in relation to their sustenance, and for people like me, we consume and appreciate food for ALL of its “life-giving” capabilities. 

We all require some form of sustenance in order to survive. While some of us stick to chicken curry and rice, others of us might feel more satisfied by a spinach salad with walnuts and pears. Regardless of what it is you put in your body, my goal in this blog is to urge you all to not so much focus on the percentage of fat and carbs, but to re-evaluate your relationship with food. Learn to place value not in the quantity on your plate or the complexity of your meal, but in the quality of people whom your share your meals with, the warmth of the environment in which you can fulfill your dietary needs, and most of all the love of the chef who chops endlessly, stirs swiftly, and bakes patiently.

Once one can appreciate all the tiny nuances in the process of preparing genuine soul food, one will finally reap all of its benefits. I personally feel that Americans struggle so overwhelmingly with obesity and several other food-related infirmities because of their lack of appreciation for the process, everything is about being time-efficient, however that is a-whole-nother posts for another day ;) 

 Today, I can easily say that there is not a meal that goes by that I do not take the time to fully appreciate and be thankful for. Surround yourself in good company while you feast, take time to give thanks, and pause casually for proper satisfaction.

Bon appetit

Gratitude Journal:

(sorry been m.i.a. for a few days, but here is today's gratitude journal entry)

I am thankful for:

-the pomegranate face mask my boyfriend picked out for me (my face is baby soft right now :))

- the amazing smell of orange peels and cinnamon (homemade potpourri) 

-Ted Talks

-the voice in my head, reminding me to workout today

-my stubbornness( always reminding me that I am my most difficult challenge)

I am thankful to be working on:

-Awareness (body and mind)

-Patience (with myself)

-Open-mindedness

-Consistency

- Humor(find humor in yourself, in the things that happen to you, and the people around you)

*if you just joined, I am posting 10 Gifts of Gratitude on each of my next 21 blog posts. 5 random things, people, etc. that I am thankful for and 5 attributes that I would like to improve about myself that I am thankful to be aware of. 

If we want to create change in our world, we must first create change within ourselves. 

Besos Bloggers.