
Nadia Fragnito

In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, finding moments of stillness and calm can be challenging. In an attempt to find a little peace...
There is a link between the climate crisis and what’s on our plates. The hard facts are astounding, as is the difference a plant-based change...
One month. No meat. What a difference it can make! Here’s why we should all give No Meat May a go this year.
Diversity is just as important as quantity if you want to boost your health and wellbeing with the veggies you eat. Read on to discover 10 ways...
Eco period products have risen in popularity – they’re sustainable, affordable, healthy, and convenient. Here’s what you need to know so...
Going vegan can be a life-changing experience, and it’s not without its challenges. The good news is you’re not alone. There are identifiable...
We know we’d benefit from it, but we just can’t do it! Here are five ways to find your flow state through a more active form of meditation.
This sensational salad was inspired by the Indian dish, Bombay Potatoes. Paired with a creamy cashew and lemon dressing, if you weren’t a salad...
Ellie Bullen has a true passion for creating dishes that are bursting with flavour and beautifully presented and, true to form, her vegan burger...
The turmeric and ginger in this soup not only taste great, but offer wonderful health benefits.
You only need simple ingredients and a great recipe to create a beautiful and highly nutritious dish like this one.
Nuts, raspberries, grains, and coconut shreds combine with a rich plant-based melted chocolate mixture to create this wholesome version of rocky...
Colourful and nutritious, this hearty Moroccan-style salad combines spiced roast veggies, chickpeas, massaged kale and plump sultanas with an...
You’ll be scoffing mouthfuls of this rich, hearty, budget-friendly soup before anyone else has a chance to dive in. It’s that good! I...
Spraying sheets and pillows with calming scents can be a wonderful aid to slumber
The next time you go for a walk, discover the wonder of the everyday world around you
A skincare routine can be a way to nourish yourself inside and out
When the clouds converge, practise gratitude for the smallest of glimmers, and learn to dance in the rain.
Stepping into the kitchen can offer mindful and meditative moments. Let’s try a little cooking therapy to bring a sense of calm to our often chaotic lives.
In difficult times, we seek to alleviate stress in a variety of ways, whether chatting to a friend, dancing like crazy, spending time in nature, meditating, or enjoying a long hot bath. No matter the remedy we choose – these can all be viewed as forms of therapy. Yet another form is cooking. Donning an apron and whipping up a batch of cookies can have more emotional benefits than you may realise. Cooking therapy is available to everyone, and can be enjoyed alone, with a partner, or in a group setting. Following a recipe, or even creating one, requires focus and mindfulness.
If life is feeling out of control, cooking therapy can offer certainty and self-worth. We might not be able to foretell the future, solve our financial strains, immediately fix personal or work conflicts – but we can bake a cake and bring a little love and deliciousness into the world. Here are some simple activities you might like to try as a form of cooking therapy.
Have you ever been instantly transported to the past by the smell or taste of food? This is referred to as ‘Proustian memory’ and is a result of our odour memory. According to Moss and Johnson, who have studied this phenomena, there is a “strong relationship between odour and emotion… from the part of the brain involved in processing odours being positioned within the limbic system – an area of the brain integral to emotion”. So, choose a nostalgic meal from your childhood. Perhaps a sweet treat that your grandma used to make? Dig out recipes for those family favourites and adapt them to suit your diet today. Lay the table, set up a beautiful space, and honour those memories.
Give yourself the gift of time. Just like making bread or pizza dough, making pasta from scratch can be a meditative process. It’s even a bit similar to art therapy, except you replace the clay with dough, ultimately creating beautiful pasta shapes, just like little sculptures. You’ll experience play, focus, presence and a sensory experience. It’s also physical without being exhausting. And after all this, you get to devour a silky-soft plate of fresh pasta.
Food often involves sharing and connection. So why not create food gifts either for or with your friends? Giving is mostly centred around the recipient of the gift and how they will feel. But the giver experiences just as much pleasure in creating the gift. What a pleasant cycle of giving! Perhaps you can get together at a friend’s house and prepare food gifts together. You might bake a batch of cookies and create your own packaging and gift card. Or layer the perfect hot chocolate mix into a mason jar and attach a homemade label. Try preserving jams from seasonal fruits or pasta sauce from an abundance of tomatoes, then share them with friends, family, workmates, or neighbours.
Hosting a tea party can be just the escapism you need. Everything just tastes better at a tea party! When we delight in the treats we prepare and the company we keep at a tea party or tea ceremony, we allow ourselves to taste the beauty of life. Italians refer to this experience as dolce far niente or the sweetness of doing nothing. The Danes have their own term, hygge, which translates to a feeling or moment of pure contentment. The Japanese phrase ichi-go ichi-e, which literally means one time, one meeting. What a perfect reminder that there is only this present moment, this once in a lifetime occurrence. So, delight in time and treats with your friends!
Cooking isn’t just for function. Cooking therapy can be a transformative tool to include in our wellbeing toolkit. Step into the kitchen, clean the bench tops, pull ingredients off the shelf, and cook with love!
There is a link between the climate crisis and what’s on our plates. The hard facts are astounding, as is the difference a plant-based change...
Mountains stretch down to coastal plains, which hug the curves of over 100 pristine beaches, all gazing out towards the stunning waters of the...
Gut health is no fleeting fad. The more we learn, the more we understand how important it is to overall health. Here’s what you need to...
If you want to get your gut in order, Dr Will Bulsiewicz is the expert to help you sort out fact from fiction. This is the gut-health cheat sheet...
Eco period products have risen in popularity – they’re sustainable, affordable, healthy, and convenient. Here’s what you need to know so...
Learn when to consider a vegan and gluten-free diet (and when you probably shouldn’t). Plus, discover four popular plant-based meals and how...
The science is in. Shifting to a plant-based food system is essential to avoid climate and ecological breakdown. And now we have a roadmap to...
Lusciously decadent but guilt free, these divine bars are definitive proof that there’s a healthier, plant-based version of anything you fancy....
The star of the dish is the cashew cream. Be sure to push the veggies down so they are covered before baking. The magic happens when they soak up...
If you haven’t tried sweet pizza before, it’s time to fix that! In this recipe, homemade pizza bases are smothered with sweet bechamel, and...
You don’t need animal products to make lusciously creamy and satisfying dishes. You don’t even need oil! This wholefood, plant-based...
This is the perfect plant-based brownie for the brownie connoisseur. Years in the making, and now captured for you to enjoy. It’s as much for...
Shifting to a wholefood plant-based diet doesn’t mean missing out on cheesecake. This recipe uses tofu instead of cream cheese and is therefore...
Healthy, satisfying and flavoursome, this pad kee mao is vibrant Thai food at its best.
Spraying sheets and pillows with calming scents can be a wonderful aid to slumber
The next time you go for a walk, discover the wonder of the everyday world around you
A skincare routine can be a way to nourish yourself inside and out
When the clouds converge, practise gratitude for the smallest of glimmers, and learn to dance in the rain.
Lasagne is surely everyone’s favourite Italian recipe and this vegan version is sure to impress with layer upon layer of rich, meaty, saucy, creamy goodness.