It was evening, and I was making dinner for myself and my family. I decided to turn on some music; the kitchen felt quiet as my sons and husband were tucked away in different rooms of the house, my boys playing peacefully (which was always a welcome thing!), and my husband watching television to shift out of work mode.
I found some music that I loved and began singing and dancing around the counter as I made dinner. Next thing I knew, I found myself in a full-out impromptu dance routine. I moved easily and excitedly around the kitchen island. I stopped making dinner for a while, as I immersed myself in the upbeat music and the fun of dancing!
After some time, I realized it was important to finish making dinner. And I did so while I continued to listen to music and gently move my body to the beat.
I felt happy, excited. ALIVE.
These were emotions I wasn’t typically tuning into during those days. In those days, when my sons were young, I spent a lot of time tending to them and their neurodiverse behaviors. Let’s just say that in my life at that time, things didn’t often feel easy. With so much focus on helping my sons become the best version of themselves, I would often end up getting stressed, taking some of their actions (or inactions) personally, and, well, our family would (more often than I would like to admit) end up in an argument, with no one listening to one another.
The fact that I was dancing around the kitchen feeling happy, upbeat, and alive was amazing for me! I had lost touch with these feelings.
And then it hit me – I had been experimenting with eating kale.
The Power of Food
At the time, I was in a nutrition program in NYC, learning about the effects of food on our bodies. What fascinated me was the connection between food and mood. I hadn’t been introduced to this idea before.
I was in the middle of a food experiment (homework assignment) with kale. It was required that we not only learned about the properties of foods but also experiment with them to see how they affected our body AND our emotions.
I had been eating kale for about three weeks straight. I ate it four or five times a week. I sautéed it with onions, fresh minced garlic, and some oil, and it was delicious.
Back then, I had never eaten kale, nor had I any interest in it. I didn’t know how to cook it, and I didn’t think it looked very appetizing. However, to learn more about how food affects the body (and to complete my assignment), I ate kale for three weeks.
On this particular evening, feeling amazing and dancing while I made dinner, I realized the kale had caught up with me. I was feeling great because I had been eating a food that helps to lift your emotions and energize you.
And in that moment, I was living the proof.
As I continued the experiment, I found myself singing and dancing in the car. In the grocery store, in my driveway – anywhere and everywhere!
When the experiment ended, I didn’t stop. My mood was too good to let go of! I wanted to keep feeling great. Even when my family found ourselves in chaos, I was beginning to handle things with more grace and understanding. And I knew it had so much to do with the food I was eating.
I had made the connection between food and mood. And I didn’t want to go back.
As this food–mood process occurs, we begin to connect more with the people we love. We walk away from potential arguments, step out of chaos more easily, and begin to feel good instead of stressed and uncomfortable. And every aspect of our lives has the potential to improve. Calm sets the tone for more good things to come.
Andrea Anderson is a health and emotional wellness family manager, parenting consultant, and author. She helps individuals and families “find their calm” through calming foods, reframing their thinking, and nervous system relaxing tools, so they start to feel calmer.
To create more calm for you or your family, book a food audit or emotional wellness audit at: andreachapmananderson.com/work-with-me or reach out with questions at: andrea@AndreaChapmanAnderson.com. Visit: andreachapmananderson.com to learn more and connect on IG: @andreachapmananderson.
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