Mental Health and Tomato Basil Soup
Eating in relation to health has been something that I have struggled with my entire life. As a child it is difficult to understand healthy habits and apply them logically for long term health. As these habits are typically formed during childhood, I had little frame of reference throughout adolescence of what “healthy” eating looked like. As a result, I struggled with unhealthy eating habits and body dysmorphia for the majority of my life. It wasn’t until I was 19 that I discovered the gym and began to do my own research about nutrition and the benefits it can have combined with physical activity.
When I first started, I had only a limited understanding of what being “healthy” truly meant, and incorporated a lot of mistakes into my daily routine. Over time I learned that being healthy is not only consuming “healthy” or natural foods, but understanding what your body needs to function optimally. Sometimes this means eating healthy, and other times it is honoring cravings and eating your favorite foods. Being healthy involves balance, and mainly focuses on living realistically. No one is able to eat perfectly 100% of the time, and accepting that idea helped me to understand this during my health and fitness journey.
Health and Fitness will often focus on the wellbeing of the body, but not of the mind. Most of the issues that I faced with food growing up stemmed from an insecurity with food and a lack of understanding of what was healthy. Taking care of health also means taking care of your mind, and that is just as important as nourishing the body. One of my favorite recipes to make is not necessarily considered healthy for the body, it is for the mind. Tomato Soup was one of my favorite comfort foods as a child, and eating it brings me back to happy memories with my family.
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 yellow onions, (3 cups finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves, (1 Tbsp minced)
- 56 oz crushed tomatoes, (two, 28-oz cans) with their juice,(preferably San Marzano)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, (plus more to serve)
- About 1 Tbsp sugar (or added to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or to taste, this combats acidity)