Connecting with our Food
fostering a deeper respect and understanding for nature
I am a believer that the healthiest of food is food made with love. From seed to plate. The more present we are with our food, the more care and intention we put into each meal, the more connected we are to our food — the healthier it is.
Today, we are more disconnected from our food than ever. A typical meal for an American consists of > ingredients coming from different sources around the world (usually factory farming) > travel of ingredients > processing of ingredients in a factory > plastic packaging of ingredients > more travel > delivered to fast food chain > cooking of ingredients > plastic packaging of ingredients > travel of meal for delivery to doorstep > in our hands. By the time the food reaches our plate, it is essentially devoid of any nourishment.
What used to happen?
We or a neighbor plants a seed > seed grows > harvest > cook and enjoy
Or even further back?
We are hungry > we go into the forest to hunt or gather > cook and enjoy
It used to be the norm to put effort, intention, and love into our methods of acquiring food. The effort of going out to forage, the patience of nurturing a garden, the relationship with a local farmer — is now a rarity.
Connection to our food is not only important from a physical health standpoint, but also psychological.
Why Connection to Food Matters
Our ancestors lived in direct connection with their food sources — whether through hunting, gathering, trading, or farming. This relationship fostered a deep understanding of ecosystems, seasons, sustainability, and an even deeper respect for food and nature. Reconnecting with the source of our food, directly reconnects us with nature itself. This reconnection fulfills a physical and psychological need within us. It helps foster a deeper sense of purpose, contentment and peace.
Potential Benefits of Connection to Food
Deeper sense of respect for nature and the earth
Enhanced mental health, mood and overall well-being
Decreased stress and anxiety
Higher levels of mindfulness
Increased feelings of gratitude
Reduced over-eating and increased satisfaction
Deeper connection with intuition
Better digestive and gut health
Improved physical health and overall nourishment
Increased immune function and detoxification
Clearer mind and less brain fog
Regulated nervous system
Higher sense of purpose
So how can we work to re-build that connection to our food?
Re-Building Connection to Food
Re-building our connection to food is not complicated. It is as simple as it can get, it’s going back to the basics. Unlearning some of our shortcut ways and practicing patience and slowness. There are many ways we can begin to re-connect:
Visit a Local Farm — Visiting a farm and seeing the processes of how the food is grown or how the animals are raised is so rewarding. It allows us to see the process holistically, and creates a deeper respect and understanding.
Create a Relationship with Local Farmers — Having a respectful relationship with the farmers that work hard with love and care to grow or raise the food that ends up on our plate is incredible. It not only creates respect but also trust.
Grow Your Own Food & Make Food from Scratch — Learning to make food from scratch, like sourdough, or starting an herb garden, cultivates a greater appreciation and love for the process of how food ends up on our plate. When we eat the food, we can feel the love, the effort, and the care.
Eat Seasonally — Eating seasonally is amazing for so many reasons. Seasonal produce is typically less expensive, more nutrient dense, travels less to get to our plate, and is grown as nature intended! Eating seasonally is wonderful for our health, and it also connects us closer to nature as we are eating alongside the seasons.
Cook Recipes from Ancestors — There is such a deep sense of love, culture, and connection when cooking recipes from our ancestors. Whether you are learning from your Grandma, who learned from hers, or using a recipe written so long ago you can barely tell what the measurements are, these recipes were made with such love and care and it instills this sense of fulfillment and love. I also love the book Nourishing Traditions, for tons of amazing ancestral recipes.
Practice Gratitude and Intentional Eating — Simply slowing down and showing gratitude for the food in front of us improves health and well-being. It is so good for regulating our nervous systems and being more mindful and intuitive. Too often we are eating in a rush, eating distracted, eating stressed, which disconnects us from our mind and body, and the food on our plate. Taking deep belly breathes before eating, eating non-distracted, chewing food, and being present with our meals helps to support this process.
Eat Outside — Nature automatically taps into our rest&digest parasympathetic state, which allows us to eat more intentionally and mindfully. Reconnecting with nature while we fuel and nourish our bodies not only maximizes nutrient absorption, but also connects us with the Earth while we do it.
Reduce Food Waste — The more intentional we are with our food, the less we waste! The more we make things from scratch and connect with our food — the less waste there is! The more we care and nurture the environment, the less inclined we are to waste. Finding fun ways to reduce waste sparks creativity and also opens up the door for so many unique possibilities.
Be Curious — It is important that we ask questions about the source of our food. Read about the companies we buy from. Prioritize ones that value transparency, traceability, ethical and/or regenerative farming, and do what they do out of love and care.
Measure with your Heart — When it comes to cooking, don’t be afraid to go outside of the box. The best way to learn is to mess up and figure out what we like and don’t like. Measuring with our hearts and cooking with our senses increases overall intuition and allows us to really listen to our guts, and have fun while doing it!
Vote with Your Dollar — It is so important that we vote with our dollar. Buy from companies with aligned values, support our local farmers and small businesses, re-invest in our communities. It goes a long way.
Re-connecting with food has changed my life. It has allowed me to be more intuitive, tune into my body, listen to my gut, have a deeper respect for nature, farmers, animals, and food in general. It has helped to heal my relationship with food and health, and improved my overall well-being.
I hope these methods help you in the same way they’ve helped me. Sending you guys all the love!!! And if you missed it — here’s December’s seasonal produce, eating these foods is a wonderful way to start on that journey of connecting with food. Even better if you get it from a local farmer!!
Love you guys! Talk to ya Sunday — will be sending out meal shortcuts from my new kitchen <3 Yay! XO - Ella
Would love to hear more about you’re connecting w food in NYC!