The health benefits of a good meal shared with good friends go far beyond nutrition. Photo: moonlightsv.
Food is my love language.
Not just eating, although obviously that is an important part of it.
Food – growing it, sourcing it, preparing it and eating it is at the foundation of some of my most treasured relationships.
My dad was an avid gardener, and our yard is home to pots that grow the obscure favourite fruits of loved ones.
My stepdad trained as a chef. He showed me the best way to dice onions, and that a thoughtful meal says more than words can.
Sometimes the love language of food is more innocuous – snacks pulled out of a secret drawer at work when everyone’s in a slump; a cheese and dip platter with friends; your favourite takeaway at the end of a long week.
I had the joy of interviewing two restaurant owners and chefs this week.
Both women were from different backgrounds, and cook very different cuisines.
What united them, however, was their reverence for food.
From sourcing the best ingredients – including growing some themselves – to the memories that can be evoked by a nostalgic meal, both women believed that good food has the power to connect us and enrich our lives.
“I’m always cooking for my friends,” one laughed.
“If you have a problem, don’t come to me for advice, come to me for food.
“And if I have a problem, I don’t want wisdom, just feed me!”
She’s got a great point.
I sometimes feel like a healthy love for food is under attack.
We’re encouraged to see food as fuel, to look for ultra-processed nasties in every bite we eat, to scrutinise our bodies and flagellate ourselves if we eat “too much”.
That’s a lot of stress to put ourselves through three times a day.
It’s a shame, because the health benefits of enjoying food are enormous.
You’re far more likely to prepare and eat healthy food when you actually like it.
Anyway, the biggest predictors of health and longevity aren’t what you eat, they’re boring things such as your genetics, how health and safe your environment is, and whether you’re financially secure.
Even when we look at things we can control, drinking, smoking and not wearing sunscreen are far more hazardous to our health than enjoying mum’s pasta bake.
How socially connected you are is also a heavy hitter when it comes to health and longevity, and this can be one of the first things to go when someone gets obsessive about what and how they eat.
Further down that path, disordered eating is the mental illness with the highest mortality rate.
A good relationship with food is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and the people we love – so please, someone come get brunch with me? I know a couple of places.
