let's start at the very Beginning

I have always loved food. In every aspect. Sure, I love to cook and bake. But I also make grocery lists weekly, stroll the supermarket aisles daily, browse recipe sites late into the night, read food blogs often at the detriment of my productivity at work, and surf various sites salivating at gadgets and gizmos for the kitchen. There is something about food that allows me to completely immerse myself into it.

In the past year, my obsession with food has gone full circle to include its effects on the mind and body. I’m still surprised that my attraction to food did not automatically transition into a curiosity of how it influences the mind and body. It’s perfectly logical but at the same time, I’m not sure how many “food centric” people can say that they have examined this relationship. At first, it seemed like it would be simple to learn—science has “proven” certain foods are good for you and others are bad. Little did I know that the extensive Health & Nutrition section at the bookstore isn’t there just for show.

Food is integral to the body’s functions; it is the fuel allowing the body to operate. Like any fuel, it can allow you to run optimally or inadequately. You’ll make it to your final destination (e.g., writing that quarterly report) but what you eat can actually effect how long it will take for you to get there, the quality of the end product, and how you feel throughout the process. Many, many people have theorized on the food.mind.body connection. So as you can imagine, my investigation in the Health & Nutrition section has become much more extensive than I initially anticipated. Since first diving into this topic, I have had extensive conversations with friends and accumulated a lot of knowledge via books, websites, workshops, and personal experience. But I have been overwhelmed by the breadth of information and have not been able to develop a clear opinion and theory of on my own on food and its relationship with the mind and body.

After months of reading and processing facts, figures and opinions, I decided that a blog would be the best avenue for me to synthesize and share my readings and experiences. I think that feedback and opinions—the contribution from readers to this Potluck blog will really help my progress. Be forewarned that, on occasion, I will still explore the Cookbook section of the bookstore and feature some not-as-healthy food. After all, it is unrealistic to think that in our modern day culture, we will be healthful 100% of the time. At the end of the day, it is about finding balance in our lifestyles and hopefully, this blog will be our guide through the journey to attain it.