''I cook, I meditate''

The October 16^th reminded me of the World Food Day. Sometimes I forget the date, but as much as I care about, it is not only poverty, hunger, and food sustainability. Respecting our body, or being healthy inside and outside, is what I think equally important. This is where the efforts of a healthy balance between a healthy mind and body become a challenge. Exercises, diet and adequate sleep are the keys. Are these enough? The balance between body and soul are essentials.

It has been more than ten years I frequently exercise: running, swimming, tennis, yoga, hand-gun shooting. Healthy food is no stranger since eight years ago as well. However, I was once exposed to high cholesterol with such symptoms of dizziness, shoulder pain, tiredness, and stiff neck. Followed by skin rashes, a doctor stated upon the observation result, those events were the signs of stress, later also considered emotional disorder. I realized those were the time I had been through too much at the same time. Those physical ailments – that obviously I had experienced, were caused by stress. Stress ruined everything, impacted on body, indeed.

I believe every person must have her or his own problems with such complexity. Each has a mindset and different way in facing or fighting stress (certainly not by avoiding reality, I assume). For me, one way of dealing with stress, is doing positive activities or hobbies as a meditative action, leading or dragging my mind into certain focus, consistently, persistently, aimed at constructing perseverance inside, which along the way, will be beneficial to the body.

Cooking is my hobby. Healthy food is a necessity. I come to make a choice that cooking healthy food is a part of my meditative action – taking it as the right combination between activities and good or healthy stuffs, but at the same time a challenge for me. I hate vegetables and fruits since I was a kid, the challenge takes place when I should encourage myself to eat veggies - making it attractive and tasty to eat. I need to get kick in the ass to start eating veggies, and to get this going, but keeping in my mind the benefit of eating more healthy food. Another challenge for me is on how to stay consistent, and reassure myself that food can make my life better.

It has been always fun, therapeutic, and relieving when cooking healthy foods, trying recipe from chef, tasting various vegetable from organic to hydroponics. Sometimes I cook or eat cheating meals too. Satisfaction always comes up upon my experiment on food, its taste and presentation or plating. I can feel that this meditative action starts to give me fruitful feeling and happiness.

I cook, I shoot, I post (and I win)

Starting my Instagram account where I post my food journal and health journey (healthy menu or clean-eating meals, cheating meals, in the restaurant or homemade), is how I begin and feel some series of fortunate events. This also reminds me of the results of my habit on eating or cooking (my meditative action) as well. It is the way I am gladly to share with others, as much as I am happy to have more precious insight from others too. There is a circle of positivity within.

One great experience I had, was when I participated a home-cooking competition hosted by the Pantry Magic Indonesia on its 7^th anniversary through its #imahomecook and I won! Being proud and happy that I had a chance to cook together with Chef Bara Pattiradjawane on 14 November 2015, met with many inspiring people such as oom William Wongso the Indonesian culinary expert and an honorable restaurateur that makes Indonesian cuisine on the world’s map, Ibu Vita Datau the Chairman of Indonesian Gastronomy Academy, Ibu Shindy the the Pantry Magic Proprietor, Chef Revo with her beautiful mom Astrid Tenggara,  Tria the Food Editor of Femina magazine, Poetri Andayani the hydroponics vegetable enthusiast, and many other inspiring and lovely person in culinary.

This, is definitely a huge positive result from what I have started – cooking as my meditative action…makes me realize even more, that I have a countless chance to live, cook, eat, strive for a balance between healthy mind, body and soul, explore creativity, embrace and feel all the positivity, and surely to continue what I call meditation.

What's your meditative action?

#WorldFoodDay #FoodMatters #FoodRevolution #IMAHOMECOOK