If you want to have a mental edge and boost your brainpower, here’s a tip: eat healthy snacks before and/or during your study sessions.
The thing about food is it profoundly affects your brain. And the thing about your brain is that it’s a nutrient sensitive organ.
Feed your brain junk food? It will suffer.
Feed your brain plant-based wholefoods? It will thrive.
By simply increasing the amount of healthy plant foods you eat, you can experience dramatic improvements in:
• Your mood (less depressed)
• Your ability to focus
• Your mental sharpness
• Your creativity
• Your memory
• Your intelligence
• Your willpower
• Your brain is 2% of your total body mass but it consumes 25% of your daily calorie intake (this tells you it’s working hard!).
• Your brain is loaded with cells that link to each other via synapses. This allows you to think, speak, move and manage your day to day life.
• Your brain cells need a steady stream of oxygen and nutrients to survive and work properly.
• Certain food components are toxic to the brain (e.g. artificial colours, artificial flavours, preservatives, pesticides and antifoaming agents).
• The more fast food you eat the more toxins you’ll have in your body.
• A high toxic load in the body can lead to chronic inflammation and the development of serious diseases (e.g. diabetes, heart disease and cancer), depression and subtle brain damage.
• Memory problems can be a sign that your brain cells are not working properly due to not getting the nutrients they need.
As Dr Joel Fuhrman states:
“A healthy and happy brain requires a steady stream of vitamins, minerals and phytochemical plant compounds – ingredients that are missing from modern commercial foods.”
Raw vegetables are essential for excellent brain health. Vegetables, such as carrots, celery, capsicum and cucumber, are loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Chop these up and store them in a big clear container. Do this in your downtime when you need a break from your books. It will take less than 30 minutes to chop a big pile of vegetables and you’ll have veggies that last for several days.
You can easily whip up a hummus dip with some chickpeas but if your short on time, pick up a 1 kg tub from the shops. Chickpeas are one of the most nutrient dense carbohydrate sources. They are also high in protein and have a low glycemic index.
You’ve probably seen these desserts for sale in hipster cafes. They usually cost a bomb and have been sitting there for days. The good news is you can easily make a big batch of fresh raw balls at home and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
I love medjool dates and purchase them by the 5kg box! Dates come loaded with fiber and phytonutrients.
But dates are also high in sugar. Is this a problem?
Apparently not!
According to science our bodies process the sugar in dates differently. Dr Joel Furnham says:
“When scientists used dates instead of sugar in feeding experiments, they found that the blood sugar did not go up, and any increase in oxidative stress was not measurable. Figs, dates and unsulfured dried apricots do not seem to cause a problem with health, weight and blood pressure. This is mostly because the sugar is bound to a huge amount of fiber; and combined with all their minerals, trace elements and phytonutrients.”
Every week I’ll make a big batch of a simple raw dessert with nuts, cacao and dates. You’ll find lots of different recipes online. Check out this raw dessert Pinterest page for a wealth of ideas.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries: what makes these berries superfoods?
They are packed full of phytochemicals, antioxidants and flavonoids. They are also super high in nutrients and low in sugar.
Pre-wash your fresh berries and store in the fridge so when hunger strikes you can just grab and go!
Fresh berries are out of your budget? Buy frozen berries. They can be just as good as fresh berries, retaining most of the nutritional properties at a fraction of the cost.
If you don’t have time to chew, the smoothie is the perfect way to get an energy boost. It’s also a great way to consume a number of brain boosting foods in one go (e.g. flaxseed, cacao, spinach, almonds, dates and berries). I love making chocolate blueberry banana smoothies. Here’s my recipe:
1 tablespoon of flaxseed
2 tablespoons of cacao powder
A handful of almonds
2-3 medjool dates (take the pits out)
2 cups of water or plant-based milk (almond or soy)
A cup of greens (usually kale or spinach)
1 cup of blueberries
1 banana
Tend to get sleepy when you study? Grab a handful of nuts and seeds. They are high in protein, which helps you stay alert when you study.
Aim to eat these everyday. Any of the following are good for you:
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Macadamias
• Cashews
• Sunflower seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Chia seeds
Worried about the calorie and fat content of nuts? There’s no need to worry!
Dr Joel Fuhrman states:
“All the fat calories consumed [in nuts] are bound to plant fibers and not fully absorbed.”
In fact, a significant percentage of the calories in nuts are removed from your body when you do a poo. How amazing is that!
Love crispy, salty stuff? Then you’ll love kale chips.
Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that is super nutrient dense and good for you.
I’ve been perfecting the art of the kale chip for the last 2 years. Check out how I make my kale chips here.
The key word here is dark (80% cacao content or more). Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids so it has a similar affect on the brain as berries. If you can stomach it, go 99% dark chocolate. And you don’t need to have much. A small square will do the job.
When I’m feeling lazy, I throw 2 weet-bix, some berries and a chopped banana into a bowl and add some almond milk. This is as easy as it gets! Plus it’s low in sugar. Just don’t go adding honey or spoonfuls of sugar to your weet-bix!
Forget buying tubs of super sugary ice-cream that is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol. You can easily make your own healthy banana ‘nice-cream’. All you need are some frozen ripe bananas and a blender. If you want a sweeter chocolate version, just add cacao powder and a couple of dates!
Yes, fruit contains sugar. So what makes it different to lollies, cakes and biscuits? It’s the fact the sugar in fruit comes bound to fiber. This means you don’t get a surge of sugar in your bloodstream.
All that being said, while all fruits are healthy, some fruits are better for your brain than others. Aim to eat fruits with a low glycemic index, such as peaches, nectarines, apples, apricots and plums.
If the above snack foods are new to you, start by introducing just one or two of them into your diet. Notice the effect they have on your brain and your ability to think clearly. Start to pay attention to your mood and energy levels, too.
A word of warning: If you’re used to eating processed fast foods, you may have nuked your taste buds! Consequently, the above snacks may not taste that great to start with. But persevere! With time, you will retrain your palate to prefer the subtle flavours of healthy foods. And ultimately, your brain and body will thank you for it!
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As someone who loves to read, I always look for great books to add to my shelves and the growing pile of books next to my bed. Over the past year, I’ve stumbled upon some amazing books that I’m excited to share with you.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your thinking, organise your life, create new habits, or get absorbed in an inspiring story, this list has something for everyone.
Here are nine standout books from my 2024 reading list that are well worth your time.
Let me know which ones you’re excited to pick up—and don’t forget to share your recommendations with me. Let’s go!
“We use our brains entirely too much – to the detriment of our ability to think intelligently. What we need to do is think outside the brain.”
There’s an old assumption that thinking happens inside the brain. But this book blows that assumption apart. Annie Murphy Paul presents compelling research that shows there are many ways we can use the world around us to improve our ability to think, learn, and unleash creative ideas.
This book changed my behaviour in several ways:
I’ve been able to “extend my intelligence” using my body, physical space, and relationships. If you’re curious about the science behind these behaviours, I recommend reading this book.
“Avoid all exercise”, “Maximise screen time”, and “Can’t afford it? Get it anyway”.
These are just three of the 40 behaviours and habits psychologist Dr Randy Paterson encourages us to engage in to guarantee a lifetime of misery.
This book takes advice we all need to hear, flips it, and presents it in a way that cuts through.
I was surprised by how motivating this book was. It made me want to move my body, stay off screens, and engage in self-care acts way more than your usual self-help book. It also helped that it was laugh-out-loud funny.
How to be Miserable was such a delight to read that I purchased Paterson’s other book for young adults (How to be Miserable in Your Twenties). Both books I highly recommend.
“A restaurant is a promise: walk in and we’ll be ready. Select anything on our menu and we’ll cook it for you quickly and well.”
Chefs can’t wing it. They need to be organised and have a plan. We can learn a lot about how to organise ourselves and manage our commitments from the culinary world.
This book outlines the philosophy and strategies of running a successful commercial kitchen and shows how to apply these ideas to navigate our lives with power and ease.
Dan Charnas discusses ideas such as slowing down to speed up, knolling, rearranging spaces to remove resistance and making first moves. As someone who loves cooking and being organised, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
“As Australia is the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels in the world, what we do over the next handful of years really, really matters. The time for standing on the sidelines has passed.”
Joelle Gergis is a climate scientist who gave up a prestigious academic position to sound the alarm on the climate emergency. In this Quarterly Essay, she lays out the latest climate science in a clear and compelling way and shows readers what is at stake if we continue business as usual (e.g., approving new fossil fuel projects).
This essay is a heavy but essential read for all Australians who want a liveable future.
This book is a collection of nuggets of wisdom that Kevin Kelly wrote for his adult children. This is life advice he wishes he had known earlier.
At first glance, this looks like just another standard book of uplifting quotes. But don’t be mistaken. This is no ordinary book of quotes.
Kelly could have easily written entire waffly chapters on each quote, but I’m so glad he restrained himself. Each quote is small but mighty, providing plenty of food for thought and practical advice.
Here is a small selection of Kelly’s life advice that resonated with me:
“Be frugal in all things except in your passions. Select a few interests that you gleefully splurge on. In fact, be all-round thrifty so that you can splurge on your passions.”
“The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic.”
“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can achieve in a decade. Miraculous things can be accomplished if you give it 10 years.”
The Australian government recently passed legislation to ban social media use by teenagers. Some have cited this book as the reason for the ban. If that’s true, I can certainly see why.
Social psychologist Dr Jonathan Haidt argues that we are overprotecting our children in the real world while underprotecting them online. This has led to disastrous consequences for young people’s mental health and development.
Before reading this book, I didn’t like social media companies and the manipulative strategies they use to hijack people’s time and attention. Over the years, I had read a lot of books outlining the harms of social media. What’s unique about this book is that Haidt presents a plan for cleaning up the mess these Big Tech companies have created and ensuring children develop in a healthy way.
Haidt’s plan involves keeping children off social media for as long as possible. Whether you’re a child or an adult, I firmly believe that everyone can benefit from some time away from these platforms. As Haidt succinctly puts it:
“The Anxious Generation is a book about how to reclaim human life for human beings in all generations.”
This book argues that we’ve been brainwashed to measure whether we are winning at life by the size of our possessions and the amount of money we have. However, according to author Robin Sharma, this definition of success is far too narrow and limiting.
Sharma expands the definition of wealth and what it means to “live abundantly and beautifully” by sharing other forms of wealth often overlooked by capitalist culture.
If we invested more time in personal growth, building connections and community, and cultivating good health, we would feel deeply alive rather than exhausted from the hedonic treadmill.
I’ll leave you with this quote that struck a chord with me (written in the chapter on Health):
“If you don’t feel good physically, mentally and spiritually, all the money, possessions and fame in the world mean nothing. Lose your wellness (which I pray you never will) and I promise you that you’ll spend the rest of your days trying to get it back.”
This delightful children’s book starts with Jim Panzee waking up feeling grumpy.
“The sun was too bright, the sky was too blue, and the bananas were too sweet”.
Have you ever woken up feeling a little bit off?
This book is a fun way for everyone (not just little kids) to understand human emotions. It’s okay to be grumpy! It’s okay to wake up feeling a bit off. Allow yourself to experience these emotions. In time, they shall pass.
One of my relatives is obsessed with The Wiggles (an Australian children’s performance group). After reading Anthony Field’s memoir (the Blue Wiggle), I finally understand all the fuss. The Wiggles are amazing!
Field’s memoir takes a deep dive into how the band started, how they managed to stay true to their values and mission, and the challenges they faced along the way.
Field is honest about his difficult time in school, media blunders, and his struggles with physical and mental health issues over the years. What can I say? Out of the Blue is a refreshing, wholesome read.
“I’ve been thrilled to become the major on-stage instrumentalist playing guitar, bass, drums, mandolin, bouzouki, and anything else a curious child might want to explore musically. It turns out that the maintenance of a child-like wonder about the world isn’t so hard to retain, even after you turn 60.”
There you have it! Nine books that shifted my perspective and changed my behaviour in some way. Now, it’s over to you – what books helped to shape your year? Are there any you’d recommend?
I’d love to hear your recommendations.
When you feel slightly bored, do you feel a reflexive, gravitational pull to check your phone?
If you spend hours each day clicking, scrolling, and posting, I want you to know that it’s not your fault.
It’s not that your weak willed, lacking discipline, or a lazy person.
It’s none of these things.
It’s no mystery or secret why so many people waste so much time on social media. Like a poker machine, these platforms are designed to be highly addictive.
Apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube contain persuasive design features that hijack your most valuable and precious resources: your time, energy, and attention.
Because the more time we spend on their apps, the more data they can extract and sell for social influence.
The business model of Big Tech companies is simple: Keep people glued to their platforms for as many hours a day as possible.
In other words, your time and attention equal massive profits for these companies.
In his excellent book The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Dr Jonathan Haidt presents data showing teens aged 13-18 spend an average of six to eight hours every day on social media apps. That’s close to 50 hours a week.
Dr Haidt notes that this is just the time spent on the app. It doesn’t factor in the time spent thinking about social media while they multitask in the real world.
So, that’s 50+ hours that could have been spent outside in nature, learning a language, working a part-time (or full-time) job, making art, cooking, exercising, getting more sleep, and hanging out with friends.
Let’s also not forget that these apps intervere with and harm our wellbeing and ability to think and learn.
The multi-tasking that takes place as we engage with these apps throughout the day drains our brainpower, weakens our memory, and makes us tense and anxious.
The social comparisons we engage in on these platforms also warps our perception of reality and leaves us feeling like we’re not enough.
So, here’s something to consider . . .
It’s possible, and I’m going to show you how.
I recently discovered a simple tool that helps people stop mindlessly consuming social media and other addictive apps.
It’s an app called one sec.
one sec is a self-nudging tool that helps you to create barriers to Big Tech that align with your goals and values.
As you open up an addictive app, one sec intervenes by creating a 10-second delay in opening the app.
one sec creates the little bit of friction needed to make you pause and reconsider your behaviour.
After the delay, one sec presents you with a choice: Do you want to proceed with opening up the target app (e.g., TikTok)? Or close the app and do something else?
The creators of one sec explain it works by utilising three intervention strategies:
It’s important to highlight that you’re in control of the whole experience. You specify what apps you want one sec to target. You can also modify the time delay (making it shorter or longer) and change the deliberate messaging.
Or is it just another gimmicky product that fails to change your behaviour in a significant way?
I’ve been experimenting with this app for the last month, and I’m pleased to say it’s working for me!
Even though I don’t have social media and the wicked algorithms that come with them, I recently noticed that I was spending far too much time in group chats.
one sec has helped me be more intentional and deliberate with how I engage with these chat groups.
Instead of mindlessly checking these apps whenever I have time to kill, I now have dedicated periods when I engage with them. I’m following Dr Faye Begeti’s advice when she recommends in her book The Phone Fix to “Set a finite number of times for checking social media, condensing a large number of short checks into defined, longer ones.”
This is what one sec has helped me to do, and as a result, my focus and well-being have improved. I feel calmer. My days feel longer and less frenetic.
But I realise I’m a sample size of one. Plus, I’m highly motivated to reduce my time on addictive apps.
The short answer is yes.
This research study found the app one sec helped people to significantly decrease their social media consumption.
In this study, 280 participants used the one sec app for a six-week period. Here’s what the researchers found:
36% of the time participants attempted to open a target app, they chose to close the app using one sec (i.e., they did not proceed with using the target app).
Over time, participants also opened the target apps less.
Opening problematic apps less or choosing to close problematic apps before engaging with them is actually a really big deal. Here’s why . . .
Less engagement with these addictive apps means less hits of dopamine.
Every quick and easy hit of dopamine you get from social media leads you to crave more stimulation from these apps. Before you know it, you’re in a full blown dopamine driven feedback loop.
Whenever I’m stuck in a dopamine loop, I’m not #livingmybestlife. Far from it! I feel overstimulated, chaotic, and jittery. Here’s why . . .
In his book How to Calm Your Mind, Chris Bailey explains that the brain networks for dopamine and calm are anti-correlated.
What does this mean?
It means when the dopamine network is activated, the calm network isn’t.
Imagine every time you mindlessly reach for your phone to check social media, you’re moving further and further away from a state of calm.
This may explain why participants in the one sec study reported experiencing increased satisfaction and happiness after decreasing their consumption of problematic apps.
The main intervention features (i.e., the time delay and option to not proceed with the target app) will help you decrease your consumption of addictive apps.
But there are many other features available with this app.
As you explore the additional features, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot of extra bells and whistles. For example, there is the “Don’t get lost” notifications (i.e., scheduled reminders to close the target app when you are using it) and website blocking.
But like a lot of things in life, more features don’t necessarily result in a better user experience.
Ultimately, I decided to follow BJ Fogg’s behaviour design principle of ‘Simplicity changes behaviour’. I stuck with using just the basic features of this app.
I knew if I overcomplicated the app, I probably wouldn’t use it.
All that being said, there were two additional features I incorporated:
I use the strict block feature every day. To be clear, the strict block feature is not to be confused with the basic block feature. What’s the difference?
If you select a basic block, you’re not really blocking yourself from the app. But there’s a barrier in place. If you try to open the target app, it brings up the following message:
“Be honest with yourself. Do you really want to stop this block?”
Whereas a strict block is a genuine bona fide block. You cannot use your target apps until the block is over.
If you have developed a mindless habit of reaching for your phone and checking certain apps, you need a strict block in place until your brain has had a chance to recalibrate itself.
Here is the tiny habit I created to give my brain a chance to rewire to lower hit of dopamine from my smartphone:
After I pick up my phone in the morning, I will open one sec and press strict block for six hours.
Activating a strict block means I’m in charge for the first six hours of my day (and the addictive apps are not running the show). This sets the tone for the day and puts me in proactive mode rather than chasing quick hits of dopamine. It also helps me stay calm and grounded.
A word of warning:
Even when you feel like you have regained control over your target apps, you must remain vigilant. It’s super easy to get drawn back into a dopamine-driven feedback loop.
The journal prompt is simple and effective. Before accessing the target apps, I am prompted to write about what I have done and what I feel grateful for.
I write 25 words before proceeding to the target app. This gives me a moment to reflect, which is always a worthwhile practice.
There is a free version of one sec you can use, but it limits you to applying one sec to only one target app.
If you have multiple addictive apps on your phone (as most of us do), I recommend the paid version to unlock all the features.
It costs $25AUD for the year, which is value for money if you ask me. The app has already paid for itself in terms of the time, energy, and attention I’ve reclaimed.
I should mention that I had trouble initially installing one sec and getting it to work on the target apps. The process was a little finicky, and I nearly gave up after 20 minutes of trying to figure out how to get the app to work.
You can find similar intervention apps that are free and easier to install, such as ScreenZen. ScreenZen appears to be based on similar mechanisms (i.e., introducing a time delay and friction to the target app).
My brother recently started using ScreenZen to help combat his mindless habit of scrolling through social media. When I asked for his thoughts on this self-nudging app, he said, “It’s annoying.” But then he quickly added, “But that’s the point. It’s annoying, and that’s why you use the apps less.”
Another great feature of ScreenZen is that after spending seven minutes on the target app, it puts a stopping mechanism in place by prompting you to think about if you want to keep using the app.
I don’t think anyone consciously sets a goal to spend 20, 30, or 50+ hours a week on social media. But if you don’t have strategies to combat the addictive apps on your phone, one thing is certain: Big Tech companies will hijack your time, energy, and attention.
As Michael Harris states in his book The End of Absence:
“Never forget that you live in an ecosystem designed to disrupt you, and it will take you for a ride if you let it.”
So, don’t be taken for a ride. You can easily access self-nudging tools, such as one sec and ScreenZen, to help you defend your time, energy, and attention.
Think of the things you’ve always wanted to do but tell yourself, “I don’t have the time. I’m too busy”. What if you could reclaim a significant chunk of time to do those things today? Would it be worth taking a chance on a self-nudging app?
You’ve got nothing to lose except potentially $25.
I encourage you to test out one of these apps to protect your most precious resources (i.e., your time, energy, and attention).
Note: In case you’re wondering, I have not been paid or sponsored by one sec to write this article.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with a range of weird and wonderful stress-busting activities, including yoga, pilates, meditation classes, floatation tanks, massages, acupuncture, and sound healings (to name a few).
I’ll be the first to admit that cash-grabbing wellness gurus and advertisers have sucked me in.
In our capitalist culture, we’re sold this idea that in order to relax, we need to spend big dollars. But I now realise that the best relaxation experiences are cheap or free.
I’ve created rituals around cooking that help me stay calm, grounded, and focused throughout the day.
These days, cooking is my number one way to relax. My kitchen is my happy place, and it can be your happy place, too.
Perhaps this sounds a bit strange. But hear me out.
I haven’t always found cooking to be relaxing or particularly enjoyable.
Being half Italian, I used to get involved with the occasional food tradition, such as tomato sauce-making day. But it wasn’t like I grew up with the delicious smells of homecooked food wafting through the house.
My teenage years and early twenties were filled with processed junk foods: a dizzying array of Hungry Jacks combos, greasy fish and chips, and takeaway meat lovers pizzas.
Cooking was a relaxation practice I stumbled upon much later in life.
Since upping my kitchen game and trading the expensive wellness activities for a sharp knife, solid chopping board, and fresh vegetables, my savings and confidence have grown.
To emerge from the kitchen in a calm and tranquil state, a few conditions have to be in place:
1. You cannot feel rushed
2. Your kitchen counter must be clean and clutter-free
3. You need a sharp knife to chop with
4. Your phone must be out of sight (like most things in life, it’s best not to multitask)
If these conditions are met, cooking can feel like a meditation or an empowering yoga class.
I’m not the only person who feels this way.
In the book ‘Uncook Yourself: A Ratbag’s Rules for Life’, Nat’s What I Reckon shares how he cooks his way through tough times. He writes:
“I reckon getting in the kitchen and un-cooking yourself from the tough moments in your head every now and then is a way better self-help routine than throwing five grand at some short-lived back pat from a cash grabbing blowhard at a self-help seminar just to tell you you’re not doing life right.”
One reason is you need to focus your mind.
When chopping with a sharp knife, you must pay attention to what you’re doing. If you get distracted, and I have (many times), you might pay the price with a cut to the finger.
Chopping is also a repetitive activity that delivers an immediate outcome. One minute, the bok choy is on the chopping board in full form; the next, it has been chopped and is ready for tonight’s stir-fry.
Cooking also requires you to slow down.
When you’re online, you tend to jump around in a frenzy. But when you’re cooking, you have to follow a recipe step-by-step. This requires focus. This focus helps to clear your mind.
Cooking also gives you a sense of control, power, and agency. As food journalist Michael Pollan says:
“Eating out breeds helplessness, dependence and ignorance, and eventually, it undermines any sense of responsibility.”
When you cook, you’re in control of the process (not some big corporate fast food company). Plus, compared to that commodified wellness experience, cooking is super cheap (all it costs is the price of a few ingredients).
It also produces a nourishing meal at the end. That meal will give you energy, help regulate your mood, and keep you calm and steady.
In the book ‘The Food Mood Connection’, Uma Naidoo argues that to decrease anxiety, you should pay attention to what you’re eating. She writes:
“A crucial part of battling anxiety is making sure your diet is full of foods that are calming and free of foods that put you on edge.”
Fast foods and highly processed foods. These foods (e.g., greasy hot chips and baked goods) are problematic because they lack fibre and the fragile micronutrients and phytochemicals needed for good brain health.
Naidoo recommends increasing your fibre intake by consuming more plants and whole foods, such as beans, brown rice, baked potatoes with the skin on, broccoli, pears, apples, and oats.
A few years ago, I delivered a talk called ‘Rediscovering the Ancient Art of Thrift’ at a local library. In my presentation, I shared the thrifty practice of avoiding eating out and cooking meals at home.
At this point in the presentation, an elderly gentleman put up his hand and said:
“But vegetables are expensive. Why not just get McDonald’s? It’s cheap, and there’s no cleaning up at the end.”
I immediately thought of a friend who, at the time, ate only McDonald’s (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). His housemates had confided in me that his feet had developed a pungent odour.
Although my diet was far from perfect, I was concerned. If my friend kept going down this path, I could see him heading for serious trouble.
Fast forward a year: How was my friend doing?
He was not well.
He had put on a significant amount of weight and seemed depressed, rarely leaving his room except to get his next McDonald’s meal (back in those days, there was no Uber Eats).
I explained to this elderly gentleman in the library workshop:
“Maybe you’ll save a bit of time and money in the short term [buying the fast food], but eating processed food will cost you down the track. It will cost you in medical bills and poor health. Your quality of life will suffer.”
He nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced.
Until you’ve cut out the processed junk food, allowed a couple of weeks for your tastebuds to readjust, and developed the habit of home cooking, it’s easy to be sceptical. After all, we live in a world that values convenience. Opening an app, pressing a button, and having dinner delivered to your door in less than 20 minutes has some definite appeal.
But every time you order Uber Eats, you miss out on a valuable opportunity to practice slowing down and calming your mind. You also undermine your cooking skills.
If you haven’t developed the habit of cooking or cooking makes you feel anxious, there are a few simple things you can do to cultivate calm and confidence in the kitchen:
Cooking is a messy process. While I may start with a clean kitchen bench, it quickly becomes a mess. That’s how the process goes (I try to clean as I go).
It’s also okay to mess up a meal. Not every meal is going to be an absolute winner. In ‘The Four Hour Chef’, Tim Ferris encourages the reader to see meals that don’t work out as cheap cooking classes. Learn the lesson and move on.
When you think of cooking as one activity, it can feel overwhelming. I divide the cooking process into two stages:
1) Preparing the mise en place: chopping vegetables, taking out utensils, etc, and
2) Pulling it all together: cooking the dish.
In the morning, I take out all the ingredients for a dish so they are ready to go when I need to take a break from my work. I chop earlier in the day and cook the dish in the afternoon/early evening.
If I’m overwhelmed by the idea of chopping vegetables, I break it down to chopping just one vegetable at a time. I’ll say to myself:
“Just chop the capsicum. That’s all you need to do.”
It’s not fun chopping with a knife with a dull blade. A sharp knife combined with a lovely chopping board makes all the difference.
Learning basic chopping skills is a game changer. With the proper technique and a sharp knife, there’s no need to worry about cutting yourself. You can chop with ease.
I took a chopping skills course with the online cooking school Rouxbe, but you can find YouTube videos teaching you good chopping techniques.
You’re not running a restaurant. You don’t have to rush to get meals out to hungry customers. Take your time and enjoy the process of chopping each vegetable.
If approached with the right mindset, cooking can deliver a sense of calm and ground you in the present moment. You also get to experience the mental and physical benefits of a nourishing home-cooked meal. The bonus extra is saving a bit of money.
So, what are you waiting for? Pull out some ingredients and start cooking today.
Dr Jane Genovese delivers interactive and engaging study skills sessions for Australian secondary schools. She has worked with thousands of secondary students, parents, teachers and lifelong learners over the past 15 years.
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