Whole foods
It is difficult to say in one sentence how 5 Element Cooking works and what it is about. It works on many different levels and there are a few guidelines you need to follow when using this cooking method. That is why I will try to break down the knowledge for you into bitesize chunks.
The first principle in 5 Element Cooking is the use of whole foods only, or as much as you can, depending on your lifestyle and cooking experience. When I first got to know about 5 Element Cooking and started using it in my life I realised how much processed foods I consumed. Before that I was sure my diet was above average and there was not that much room for improvement. Well, 5 Element Cooking proved me wrong.
Evolutionary improvements
As soon as I kicked it off in my kitchen I noticed some slow and gradual but noticeable improvements, which is good because the changes you implement in this way are more sustainable and you are more likely to stick to them. What is more, when they come about naturally and improve your lifestyle you will love them and they will be a part of you.
I believe a transition in diet which is evolutionary rather than revolutionary is more likely to stay with you forever. Of course, there will be little ‘enlightenments’ and ‘revolutions’ in your lifestyle, like it was in mine when I decided to switch off the fridge and freezer. However, most of the time it will be an evolutionary progress and baby steps. For sure you will come back to your old habits and processed foods you used to have a lot of but with time you will realise how much more delicious your own cooking with whole foods is and your body will simply reject the stuff which was acceptable before.
You make better chips
When my younger daughter was about 5 she, and her older sister, used to ask me to take them to Macdonald’s. The standard ‘meal’ was always chicken nuggets, chips and burgers. On another day like that we order the same as usual but my younger daughter is not having the chips. I ask her “Are you not hungry?” To which she replies “No.” Another time the same thing happens, she orders chicken nuggets and chips and is not eating the chips. So I ask her again: “Are you not hungry? You are not eating your chips again. Why?” To which she says: “You make better chips.”
Tadaaaa… Yes! That was it! Can you imagine how proud I was in this particular moment? Especially because have always put a lot of attention into making my 5 Element chips. (Link to recipe here.)
5 Element Cooking – a superpower
That in a nutshell is how 5 Element Cooking works and what it is about. You learn to cook such delicious meals that you do not care for anything else. It is a little bit like having a super power. Don’t you think?
