Hidden Mental Health Benefits of Everyday Cooking There’s no question that cooking can be burdensome at times. But as pointed out in “What If Cooking Is Just Plain Burdensome?” the critical question is where do we go with that fact. Do we let it stop us from making health-giving meals so we are forced to … Read more
[VIDEO] Hidden Triggers and Surprising Solutions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Natural remedies sound great, don’t they? Heal a troublesome condition without expensive drugs or surgeries and all their complications and side effects. Instead, just eat good food, get lots of sleep, relax and get some exercise. Sounds like a vacation! Except when it comes time … Read more
I was a guest on a recent SoulShift podcast, “Reclaiming Health, Culture & Connection Through Meal Making.” Following is a comment by co-host Mindy Gorman-Plutzer which deserves a further conversation: Early in our podcast, Mindy brought up Diet Culture, saying: “I’m so drawn to the work Mary does because in my work with women around … Read more
“Cooking last week was so tiring and, frankly, just plain burdensome.” So concluded Kris, one of the participants in a class I taught recently. I loved her honest assessment of the previous cooking week, especially the word “burdensome.” What a “perfect” word! I had never attached that word to daily meal making but it really … Read more
The next couple weeks are going to be make-or-break time for healthy eating resolutions. That’s when most of them fall by the wayside. So here’s a thought if you start missing the mark on one or more of yours: What if it’s not all your fault?!! What if bigger forces are at work, diligently plotting … Read more
The kitchen has a reputation problem. All too often, it is seen as a place of toil and tedium, where it takes too much time to make food that “no one likes anyway.” That reputation has been created and carefully nurtured by our Convenience Eating Culture which prefers that we skip the kitchen and opt … Read more
Does the Earth Love Us? Does Food Hold Any Hopeful Evidence? In a recent podcast, storyteller Leah Lamb shared stories about her work with whales and how, among many other amazing contributions, whales are “known as being able to influence fields of energy with voices that calm the nervous systems of all the other animals … Read more
Hard to believe there could be a problem with Instant Pots. So many people rave about them. But I’ve noticed one problem, and it lies in the word “Instant.” In our time-starved world, that word is enough to send anyone racing to buy one with visions of instant meals, instantly available. And yet . . … Read more
Does it feel like you’re suffering around meals and eating? This question only comes up because one of my marketing gurus advised that we identify how and what our audiences might be suffering. Over my many years in the kitchen, I’ve felt a lot of things about meal making, the kitchen and eating. But I … Read more
“If you want to solve a problem, be sure to look in the right place for solutions–but the right place may be different than the problem place!” That advice was in a recent newsletter from Elyse Wagner, a health coach who seems to offer pretty sensible guidance. I liked how it ties in exactly with … Read more