Eating As An Act of Self-Compassion

When my husband and I had Covid over the holidays, my son whipped up a pot of soup and left it on the porch for us. Of course, you can't have soup without some homemade sourdough bread, left by my daughter. An offering of homemade applesauce was delivered by my dear friend and neighbor. While the food was delicious, it was the Love that made it so much more. The compassion of our friends and family became the medicine that helped us heal.

Much like our compassionate friends and family, fruits, grains and vegetables also deliver healing and can help ease our suffering. Foods act as antihistamines, aphrodisiacs or analgesics. They can thin the blood or clot the blood. They can relieve depression or calm the nerves. Food is a literal apothecary, here for our delight and wellbeing!

Take for instance the eggplant. This gorgeous vegetable delights our eyes with its rich purple color while its analgesic properties relieve pain in our body and it tastes way better than ibuprofen! Foods are here to heal and bring us life.