Child hours in the kitchen: Many recipes in my 21-Day Plan come together
in half an hour.There’s lots of love at the Oz family table—especially for Lisa’s cooking!
That bonding is crucial to the soul of food, and there’s no doubt it helps the
body, too. A University of Texas review of studies looked at the link between
social ties and health. One study in that review, for example, found that those
who were socially isolated had double the death rate from heart disease than
those who had stronger social circles. Other research links fewer social ties to a
greater risk of high blood pressure, a weaker immune system, difficulty
recovering from cancer, and a higher risk of inflammation. And that’s not even
including the psychological effects: Lack of social ties puts people at greater risk
for anxiety and depression (which, in turn, are associated with many health
problems).
Conversely, the more social connections you have, the more likely you are to
live healthy and happy. Makes a lot of sense, and it also makes sense that food
sets the stage for relationships to thrive.
In practical terms, what do I mean? I mean that not every family dinner should
be a rush job. If you live alone, make an effort to plan get-together dinners with
neighbours and lunches with friends or coworkers (they don’t have to be meals
“out”; brown baggers in the nearby park are great, too).
The combination of soulful thought and energy-giving nutrients is at the heart