CULINARY THERAPY: A TREATMENT FOR THE ECONOMIC BLUES

Who has had enough media sensationalism, COVID-19 precautions, social distancing, rioting, anger, frustration, fear and staying at home? Isn't it time to go from YUCK to YASS? Slowly our economy is re-opening but, 74% of Americans polled by KFF feel the worst is yet to come. How are you preparing for your mental wellness during a pandemic? Canada is referring to the pandemic weight gain as the COVID 15. During this unique time in our history, it is more important than ever to safeguard our mental and emotional wellbeing. Maybe you aren't afraid or stressed you will contract the virus but, maybe you are worried about a loved one, friend, finances, the economy, politics, etc. How is that affecting your feelings of joy?

When we are stressed we release a hormone known as cortisol to support our "fight-or-flight" response. This hormone is only supposed to be released long enough to get to safety. Extended periods of exposure to cortisol starts to have negative effects on our health and appearance. Another form of stress is emotional paralysis. Imagine being a bunny in an open field not sure where danger may be lurking. Media outlets exasperate the paralysis. With general and social media constantly flashing empty shelves many of us are experiencing the food insecurity and obesity paradox. The artificial environment created by COVID-19 "flatten the curve" strategies are causing people to experience up to all three of the triggers for the paradox; Low Income, Limited Resources, and Limited Access to Health Care. Top it all off with weight gain and poor health caused by psychological stressors of strained resources and social support. One could easily feel like a victim to circumstances. YUCK!

With a significant increase in depression and anxiety and limitations on how we relieve them, we need help. We are in this together. Lynn Wallace of, Kitchens And Baths By Lynn, wants to help by compassionately encouraging happiness through home improvement. While Lynn is not a psychologist or therapist, as a kitchen and bath specialist, she can provide an environment for inspiration. As luck would have it, CULINARY THERAPY is an emerging tool for mental wellness. Culinary Therapy, also known as Kitchen Therapy, helps to restore our sense of happiness, self-esteem, and manage our depression and anxiety. It is currently being used to treat the following; Eating Disorders, Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Autism, Depression, and Anxiety. If you are interested in cooking yourself into a platter of delight, then you will need a kitchen. If you are going to get happy in your kitchen, make it a Wellness Kitchen.

Wellness Kitchens are part of your Home-Health-Hub. Your home is your first line of defense and your sanctuary. Isn't it time to make changes that will help you weather any storm, virus, or shelter-in-place order? Isn't it time to feel happy again and experience a consistent sense of joy? YASS!

We are getting creative about how we bring bliss into our everyday lives with so many limitations. Mealtime socialization is deeply rooted in cultural history and traditions. In the future, should we find ourselves under shelter-in-place orders, taking time to evaluate what we are eating and how we are preparing meals is a healthy opportunity for positive change. Some of the benefits of Culinary Therapy are:

Stress relief

Improved social skills

Balance and coordination

Sensory awareness

Improved physical health

Enhanced ability to plan and organize

Time management skills

Relief from boredom

Improved memory, attention and focus

Self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment

Before we get to the mindful meditation of cooking, as advocated by Michael Kocet, Ph.D., LMHC and Julie Ohana, L.M.S.W. (with whom you can sign up for classes), let's review the kitchen environment for wellness.

Wellness Kitchen by Veronica Iconica

Wellness Kitchens address both emotional and physical wellbeing. The materials used are "green" if not completely sustainable. That is good for your health and the environment. Often times they are based on biophilic design to help you connect with nature in the built environment. This becomes critical during a time when going outside is limited. Wellness Kitchens allow you to grow your own food either inside, like the pink lit cultivator featured, or an outdoor modification of the landscaping. When possible an open layout concept is ideal so assistance and socializing can happen. This boosts emotional wellness and a sense of belonging. Whole-home water filtration is used to remove toxins for healthy cooking and keeping you properly hydrated. Circadian lighting helps you release serotonin for energy or switch it to night mode to relax. Proper disposal stations help you recycle or compost. Humidity controlled cabinets, as well as zone refrigeration, keep your food at optimal nutrition levels. Glass doors encourage healthy foods for you to eat while opaque doors help discourage unhealthy snacking. Learn more about the 7 Zones of a Wellness Kitchen.

Now that your kitchen is well laid out and inspiring, how does that mindful meditation work? Food becomes a tool for releasing positive impact hormones and enhancing our recall of happy memories. Physical wellness starts with regulating dopamine, ghrelin, and cortisol so they work for you and not against you. Memory recall is initiated through multiple sensory points. Realtors use this technique with scented candles or baking fresh cookies for potential buyers. Mindfulness in food prep and consumption is enhanced by multiple sensory points which assists in storing and accessing new memories. Refine your attention to detail, organization skills, and time management using Culinary Therapy too.

I Want To Talk To Lynn About Improving My Kitchen Happiness

“Around 2006, I started taking professional cooking classes at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts near Harvard,” Kocet told me. “I’d also taken recreational ‘boot camp’ classes at the Culinary Institute of America. Almost everybody—family, friends, colleagues—who I shared with that I was taking cooking classes, they’d say: ‘Gosh, cooking is so therapeutic.’ I'm a licensed mental health counselor and in our field, there’s art therapy, dance therapy, drama therapy, but no cooking therapy. Nobody had yet developed this or done much research around it.”

~ Dr. Michael Kocet

David Leite's most recent book, Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression, was

published by Dey Street Books in 2017. As a chef and author, Leite discovered Culinary Therapy and never looked back. He is happier for it. Creating a beautiful, functional and inspiring place to create healthy immune-boosting meals can make you happy too! The Recipe

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Kitchen features that help to make jamming a joyous occasion (clockwise):
1. Add a workstation water source on the island.
2. A pot filler faucet above the cooktop adds convenience and safety. No more
hauling a full pot across the kitchen.
3. Multiple work stations to keep from cross-contamination of food. They also allow
for people to help the chef without it feeling like a circus.
4. Multifunctional sink space to cut down and secure waste.
5. Composting and trash bins under the cutting board for easy separation.
6. Cutting boards with a drawer catch make clean up a cinch and keep unwanted
discards out of the main dish.
7. Waste access can be built directly into the countertop.
8. Built-in food and water dispenser make feeding fido fun and easy.