Pearl challenged her taste buds, reduced her desire for sweet foods and learned grow-your-own tips – all on a cookery course for better mental health.
“My cooking and food preparation skills, patience in the kitchen and cooking confidence was the lowest it had ever been when I attended the Nourish course. It wasn’t helped by the fact that I live on my own, suffer from bouts of depression and had little or no motivation to prepare and eat affordable healthy meals.”
“I’d always assumed I was opened-minded about food, so some of my reactions to recipe suggestions on the course were a surprise to me. My food buds would never have been challenged to experiment with new tastes if only the basics had been offered. It was the diversity of the recipes, with those little extra touches, that for me made all the difference and which is leading to a change in my eating habits.”
“Good grief, I’m even now using my imagination and trying new ingredient ideas myself!”
“I very much looked forward to attending the course as a highlight of my week, not only for the learning opportunity but also for the communal eating and new taste opportunities. It was great to be able to share and exchange information with other course participants.”
“The course has defo’ helped my health. Learning the importance of gut health on mental health management is motivating me to start to change and adapt to healthier eating habits.”
“I don’t eat bread for breakfast most days now so my bloating is greatly reduced. And, yay, I eat more veg! My culture says that a meal is not complete without meat… who knew you could have a filling and delicious meal with just veg? For me a veggie meal has proved to be more filling and I’ve less need to eat a dessert or something sweet at mealtimes now. My dependence and desire for puddings has been drastically reduced. Long may it last.”
“A visit to Stanmer allotment was also excellent to help with the re-connection of where our food comes from and the importance of locally and more organically grown food. The advice on how to reduce the slug population in my garden was brilliant – a bit left-field I know, but totally necessary information to help with growing my own fruit and veg.”
“I’m already spreading the word about the Community Kitchen. The course I did had so much to offer on so many levels. It’s not just about cooking. Actually, the cooking bit is the bonus!”
