Like Water for Chocolate: Cooking With Love

By February 23, 2012Uncategorized


In a conversation with a good friend the other day, the subject of food came up. Not merely just good quality food, but the preparation of food. Not the avoidance of Teflon (though this is a great idea) but the inclusion of intention with the slicing, dicing and stirring. We both agreed that the most important ingredient included in any recipe is love. If we accept the premise that thoughts and emotions are energy, then we must also accept the fact that one’s intention while preparing the food is actually infused into the meal. Anyone who has savored a specially prepared home-cooked meal where the art of cooking becomes a process of adoration and passion knows that the food simply tastes better! The same can be said at great restaurants where the chef places quality over quantity. Now think for a moment about the preparation of fast food, junk food, processed food and the like. Not much love there. Just the negative energy of corporate profits; often listed as additives, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, petrochemical fertilizers and genetically modified organisms. If you ever saw the movie, Like Water for Chocolate, then you understand the concept of love as an ingredient. Once you get it, eating food without this ingredient is barely possible.

Stress Tip for the Day:

Today (and from here on out, everyday) make a habit to be conscious of the foods you eat in terms of energy. How are the foods prepared? Remember that convenience may be great in the short term, but the payback, as they say, is a bitch (code for many chronic health problems). When you prepare your meals, turn off the TV and put on some of your favorite music. If you cook with a spouse, friend or children, infuse the cooking process with great stories and or funny jokes. Fill the kitchen with good vibrations. When you eat, eat consciously. It is also important to add a word about the slaughter of animals for food. It’s a well-known fact that animals killed in a state of fear flood their muscles (meat) with stress hormones, which are then consumed when eaten. For this reason alone make a habit to eat free range meats when possible, as these animals tend to be sacrificed more humanly.

Links, Books and Movies Worth Noting:

I googled the words, “cooking with love” and of course, there is a website and book with this title. So… here is the link. Enjoy!

http://www.cookingwithlove.com/


Quote for the Day:

“Considering all of the additives, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, petrochemical fertilizers and hormones in our food supply these days, saying grace before a meal takes on a whole new meaning.” — Brian Luke Seaward

Photo for the Day:

I am going to lose points today for not having a photo of chocolate, I just know it, but I ate it all before I thought to photograph any. Oops. This photo was taken at the renowned Flagstaff House in Boulder and I can say with great certainty, that all meals are made with love as the essential ingredient. Bon Appetite!

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (7e) and the forthcoming, A Beautiful World: The Earth Song Journals. He can be reached through his website: www.brianlukeseaward.net

© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.

Brian Luke Seaward

Author Brian Luke Seaward

More posts by Brian Luke Seaward

Leave a Reply