The other night I went to a talk and book signing by Lisa Oz (married to Dr. Oz), for her new book, US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships That Matter Most. During the course of the evening there was a lot of discussion about the healing power of energy.
As a nurse I began to think about how nurses use the power of touch – the “laying on of the hands” – to help their patients. I believe that this is also true for any parent who uses a gentle touch or a hug to convey energy and healing to a child – or for other healers who appropriately and with discipline use the power of touch and energy transfer for healing purposes.
As a nutritional counselor I started to think about the energy we gain from both food and the act of eating.
We Get Energy From Food And From Eating, Cooking, And Sharing
Food supplies calories and a calorie is a quantifiable, measurable unit of energy.
But food – and the act of eating and sharing – supplies energy in another unquantifiable way, too. Think about the energy you can get from sitting around the kitchen table hashing out issues – over food — or the great feeling to be had after sharing a phenomenal meal with someone special. What about that very special jolt of love and energy you get when you cook or share something as special as a homemade cookie with your child?
As Craig Claiborne, restaurant critic, food writer, and former New York Times food editor said in Craig Claiborne’s Kitchen Primer: “Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”