Thomas - The mindful kitchen: vegetarian cooking to relate to nature

Impactful behavior change begins with mindset change, encapsulated by the phrase from head to hands to habit. What type of systems would we create if we all thought of ourselves as interdependent parts of nature? The systems that we designed to run our human-centric world are built on a dualist assumption: the us in the equation is people and the them is nature. What if we were to reframe that assumption? Instead of valuing our human independence from nature, what if we built systems that recognized the interconnectedness and, going deeper into Chief Seattles web, the interdependence of all forms of life? These are the types of questions that eco-psychologists who study nature relatedness ask. Nature relatedness is the extension of your identity beyond the human realm (brother/sister, teacher/pupil, athlete/couch potato you get my meaning) to the all-encompassing natural worldwide web. If you hold a nature-related identity, when you go for a walk in the woods, you go beyond admiring its beauty. As you breathe in the scent of flowers, listen to the crunch of fallen leaves beneath your feet, or admire the nobility of the tree that soars aboveyou feel as secure as you do at home, as though you are a part of the woods.

Researchers have discovered that the more we begin to identify as being a part of nature (which can be measured by plotting your perspectives on a nature-relatedness scale) we decrease our stress and anxiety levels, enhance our cognitive and creative abilities, and, by default, we begin to adopt more ecologically beneficial behaviors. Essentially, identifying AS nature improves our lives and the life upon which we are dependent.

Human identity is malleable but change doesnt happen overnight. Practice leads to progress. If we are eventually to nail a Mozart concerto, we have to start by playing simple scales. Nature relatedness is the same as mastering the piano. Our identity shifts over time if we repeatedly approach experiences in nature with an open-minded intent to create change. Yet, as more than half the human population now lives in urban jungles, nature increasingly feels as though it is out there, something separate from us, hard to access daily. Reform that thought!

There is one thing that we do every day, cannot avoid, and probably enjoy, which reinforces our identity as an interdependent part of the natural world, if we choose to let itand that is eat. Pause for a moment and consider how every morsel of food that you have ever eaten has been brought to you by a well-nigh magical collaboration of people, plants, animals, wind, water, soil, sun, and countless tiny microorganisms that you will probably never see.

Food is the great connector of life. Each time we put a bite of food into our mouths, we are in a process of exchange with the entire natural world that created and sustains us. The word exchange implies reciprocation. And when we exchange gifts, we give as well as receive. What an opportunity for mindset shift!

The Mindful Kitchen offers you a blueprint for building a nature-relatedness practice through the food you eat. The aim of this book is to help you develop the skills you need to read the language of nature on your plate, to help you nurture your relationship with yourself as a part of nature and, in doing so, to shift your mindset to foster your ability to play your part in creating a regenerative world that fosters abundance for all forms of life. With due diligence, along the way you should begin to see your behavior shifting in a more ecologically friendly way.

What are more ecologically friendly food behaviors? Eating more local, organically produced plant-based foods (and wasting less of them) on a seasonal basis is the general rule of thumb, supported by the recipes in this book. But also critical is the impact the production of those plant-based foods has on maintaining the ability of the ecosystem to regenerate itself. That means considering the role that some livestock have in maintaining the balance of an ecosystem long since adapted to their presence. For example, evidence shows that livestock are important for keeping soil healthy and maintaining microbiotic diversity that other life-forms, including humans, need for maintaining resistance to disease. That is why I include vegetarian as well as vegan recipes in this book.

The point here is that the food system is complex. To make ecologically balanced choices requires a person to be able to consider complex variables that are difficult to boil down to a one size fits all list.