Food for thought

It is hard to talk about what we should eat. But I would like to share my thoughts on

food through my experiences.

I lead a double life as a yoga teacher and a Japanese vegan cooking coach. Those

two keep me independent. I truly believe that teaching them is my vocation.

During my period as a mother, I constantly sought the best diet for my children. I

explored many dietary avenues, including ayurvedic, macrobiotic, natural hygienic

and raw vegan. Ultimately, I settled on an authentic, Japanese vegan dietary

philosophy called, ‘yamatonadeshiko’ cooking.

All methods taught me so many different things and I always enjoyed new

challenges. My family had no choice in this so, basically, they were in for the ride,

too. I used my body as a guinea pig to find out the effects from different diets. It was

very easy for me to know the difference because my life has same routine including

yoga practice. I always noticed them through my muscles. One significant change

was when I changed from raw vegan to Japanese vegan cooking. Over 3 years of a

raw vegan diet, my body became lighter and more flexible. Somehow, I didn’t feel

grounded. I felt like my body was gradually morphing into a wild animal that only eats

raw food. I was never tired and my instinct became more alert so whenever

predators came, I could run away, even during eating. However, during this period, I

also felt as though I’d lost creativity as a human being. After 3 years of consuming

the raw vegan diet, coincidently, I watched a YouTube clip that explained an

authentic Japanese vegan dietary approach called ‘yamatonadeshiko cooking’. I

made the switch and, almost 4 years later, I feel changed finally like I have returned

to being a human again.

From all my experiences, I have arrived at the conclusion that what we eat is very

personal. We all have different biomes in our gut. This is a consequence of the

conditions of our lives. For example, your gut biome is influenced by where you grew

up, where you live, what kind of job you are doing, your gender… etc.

But I am certain about one thing. That is:

The most important thing for all of us is how we eat.

Whatever we eat we should be eaten with gratitude. If we consume delicious or

healthy food while we’re angry or sad, it won’t become our flesh and blood.

All ingredients are a gift from Nature. Before they come to me they have their own

journey through life. For example, a tiny tomato appears on a vine, goes through a

Article for March 2026 Newsletter

process to result as a red tasty tomato. They survive insects, storms, dry weather,

pesticides…etc. At the end of that journey, we consume their entire life and their

energy. So, for that reason, each time I cook, I place a vegetable on my hand and

feel its energy and appreciate its life journey. It will start a new life inside me, like

reincarnation. When I cook, I experience many sensations though all of my sensory

organs. I enjoy the colours and shapes with my eyes, beautiful aromas through my

nose, various sounds in my ears, textures in my hands. When I cook, I can be

mindful.

When I eat, I say “itadakimasu.” ‘itadakimasu‘ is a Japanese word spoken before

each meal. It expresses an appreciation everything about the meal, including the

sunshine, air and soil that the food grew in, the people who grew and delivered the

ingredients, as well as the people who cooked and prepared the meal. When I finish

eating, I say “gochisousama” as a sign of gratitude.

This whole process changes the vibration of food by harmonising it with our own

vibrations. We express our gratitude by word, returning this vibration back to the

universe, transformed from the original vibration of the food. This is similar to when

we breathe. We take in our breath from the universe, absorb it transform it, then

return it back to the universe. I feel as if I am part of a great cycle. Only humans can

do this in this way.

By cooking and eating, we are not only preparing food, or acquiring energy for our

body, we’re but uniting ourselves with whole universe. That is Yoga.

Lastly, it is very important to know what your food is and where it comes from. When

I eat a carrot, I know what it is and the effect that it will have on me. Unfortunately,

modern, processed foods are typically combined with ingredients, often written by

number, that I simply don’t know. If I put all these ingredients on a plate individually, I

don’t think I would want to eat them all. When they become one product, though we

eat them anyway without knowing what they are. This is a rather strange thing to do,

don’t you think?

In summary, I think the best way to maintain our health in this modern world is to

cook food we select by ourselves, and consume it with gratitude and joy.

Bon Appetit.