Food for the Body, Food for the Soul
This illustration is part of my Collective Food Wisdom series, for which I asked people across different languages and cultures to share a nugget of food wisdom or advice they’ve received that they continue to carry with them in their kitchen, garden, or life.
This piece comes from my dear friend and colleague Diana, a lifelong student of the Ayurvedic system for healing.
What is the most useful piece of food wisdom or advice you have ever received?
Diana: There is food for the body and food for the soul.
Who gave it to you?
Diana: My mentor Marcel says that to me.
How does it show up in your life?
Diana: Being in the health and fitness world, I hear a lot of "I should's" or "right vs. wrong"—this wisdom reminds me that there are so many ways to nourish yourself. Some of them are essential and physical. But there's also a power of food beyond that. We value the physical so much, but the mental and spiritual have equal weight. Take an instance when you're really craving comfort foods for example. The mindset you have when you go into eating them affects your digestion. If you feel guilty because they're "bad" for you, you may not digest them well. But if you know that you're giving your soul exactly what it needs in that moment, they can be nourishing.
Diana captured my sentiments exactly. Here's to listening to what the body or our soul needs, and trusting our gut.
To sink your teeth into more Collective Food Wisdom, and perhaps even hang a reminder of it in your own kitchen, head on over to my shop. Sometimes I sell the originals, too, so make sure you're signed up for my monthly inspiration email to be notified next time they go on sale, and you can snag your favorite.