Cooking as Medicine

Cooking is seen as medicine both in learning to prepare foods that have health benefits, and in bringing people together to create community connectedness through spiritual and cultural traditions. 

One community member described using food as a way to build community and have people come together and share stories and memories with each other allowing generational knowledge to pass from one generation to the next. She also explained how cooking is seen as a time to share life happenings and create space for support and advice to be shared  

Another community member shared a teaching from her childhood about how she was taught that the kitchen is a sacred place and that “you don’t talk ugly” while cooking. She shared that this lesson emphasized that we need to speak with care and beauty when cooking because words have spirit, which can affect the food and health of communities.  

Another community member described cooking as a way to share stories and pass down traditions to younger family members. 

A different community member spoke about how cultivation, harvesting, processing, and cooking methods affect health, comparing elders in Mexico who can still work and get around independently in their 90s because of continued access to traditional methods and ingredients.  

This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your clinician before using any remedy. This is especially important if you are pregnant, nursing, or have any medical conditions.