Only years later did I realize what a gift it was my mom gave me and my sister.
Thanks to her, when I look in a mirror, the first thing I see is often something positive. I notice the different shades of my hair, my sparkling eyes, the beautiful curve of my hips. It saddened me deeply when I figured out that that is not the case for most women.
I am eternally grateful for the way my mom role modelled how to relate to our bodies in a joyful and respectful way. As a family, we enjoyed our food, and we enjoyed moving our bodies. My mom was never on a crash diet, or complaining about what her body (or our bodies) looked like. And that taught me and my sister to look at our bodies in a way that is fundamentally different from what many people experience.
So when I met Nirvana, a licensed dietitian nutritionist, at a truly magical women’s retreat in Marrakech, I was thrilled to learn about her approach to nutrition, that resonated so much with what I subconsciously learned from my parents.
In Marrakech, Nirvana and I enjoyed the most exquisite meals together. When I first discovered she was a nutritionist, I was a little surprised. In my narrow-minded view, I pictured a nutritionist nibbling on a lentil cracker while I indulged in Moroccan pancakes dripping with honey at breakfast.
But not Nirvana.
She embraced the richness of Moroccan cuisine with joy and reverence, and she delighted in the stories that our generous host Sarah shared about the role the calorie-dense dishes played in her childhood.
For Nirvana, nutrition isn’t about calorie counting or chasing the latest superfood trend. For her as a Muslimah, it’s about honoring the incredible blessing of having a body and nurturing our physical, mental, and—most importantly—spiritual well-being.
Talking to Nirvana on the Living the Unseen podcast changed the way I look at food, as if I now see the world in 4D instead of 3D. I highly recommend tuning in (perhaps while cooking a nourishing meal!) and would love to hear how it resonates with you.
And, as Nirvana and I also discussed the cultural value of food, I am curious: what are some of your favorite childhood dishes, and are you still eating them? Let me know!
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