Feel-Good Food

Wellness and health are more than the absence of disease. I view wellness from a whole-body and holistic approach, with an understanding that our health is a complex relationship. To achieve a state of wellness, I think we must understand and accept that our mental, physical and psychological well-being all connect to our health. Our environment, work-life balance, social groups, etc., can all have an impact.

To me, achieving wellness has meant rebalancing my relationship with myself and the earth; reconnecting to the “whole” and not just being a part; finding a balance in our lives for us to connect back to the whole, back to the earth, back to each other and, most importantly, back to ourselves. You can cultivate wellness from within; clean eating and incorporating herbs will only strengthen the process in a natural way.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the ingredients used in these recipes.

Turmeric (Curcumae longa) is a well-known anti-inflammatory that has a long history of use in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Its main healing abilities are attributed to high levels of anti-inflammatory constituents. What does this mean? Turmeric can be used both internally and externally to soothe inflammation of all kind. I use turmeric daily in my coffee and tea and often will make rubs with coffee grounds mixed with turmeric for aches and pains. (Be careful, though, because it will stain your skin!) Absorption of the benefits of turmeric is increased when paired with black pepper and a healthy (monounsaturated) fat; the positive constituents in turmeric can be extracted and absorbed more readily in fat.

Ginger (Zingiberis rhizoma) has many medicinal properties. It is a digestive aid, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and one of the best things to fight the common cold. It is my go-to tummy soother. I love drinking a hot cup of ginger tea with honey whenever I feel bloated or full.

Organic coconut oils are made from coconuts grown without the use of pesticides. Refined oils are great for higher-heat applications and are more processed than unrefined oils, typically through spinning, pressing or heat. Make sure you are purchasing chemical-free refined oils. There is no difference between virgin coconut oil and extra-virgin coconut oil. I purchase organic, virgin (or extra-virgin), expeller-pressed coconut oil to cook with. Expeller-pressed coconut oil is chemical-free processed oil that has a higher smoke point than cold-pressed oil.