‘We are what we eat’ – or so the saying goes. From calorie-inducing meals to low-fat lunches, much of our health depends on what we eat. We know about the benefits of eating properly for our physical wellbeing, but food – and cooking it – is proving to be good for our mental wellbeing as well.
“我们就是我们吃的东西”——或者俗话说。从卡路里诱导餐到低脂午餐，我们的健康很大程度上取决于我们吃的东西。我们知道正确饮食对身体健康的好处，但事实证明，食物——以及烹饪——也对我们的心理健康有益。
Some people are now advocating the therapeutic value of cooking food. It’s not just about the end result but the experience someone goes through. Dr Mark Salter, a consultant psychiatrist, told the BBC: “Baking and cooking are good occupational therapies that help patients develop planning skills, short-term memory and social skills – all of which suffer in mental illness.”
有些人现在提倡烹饪食物的治疗价值。这不仅与最终结果有关，还与某人经历的经历有关。顾问精神病学家马克·索尔特博士告诉 BBC：“烘焙和烹饪是很好的职业疗法，可以帮助患者发展计划技能、短期记忆和社交技能——所有这些都患有精神疾病。”
TV chef and author Nadiya Hussain agrees that cooking is great for helping our mind. She loves to bake and became the champion of the TV show, The Great British Bake Off. She says that “Baking’s always been about therapy... It’s never really been about the cake.” And she thinks that baking is an important tool for our socialisation and mental health.
电视厨师和作家 Nadiya Hussain 同意烹饪对帮助我们的大脑很有帮助。她喜欢烘焙，并成为电视节目 The Great British Bake Off 的冠军。她说：“烘焙一直都是关于治疗的……从来都不是关于蛋糕的。”她认为烘焙是我们社交和心理健康的重要工具。
Certainly, creating some delicious food has helped some of us get through the recent lockdown; it’s helped take our mind off things and given us something to do. People have said that kneading dough to make bread, for example, has given them a sense of calm and control. Research has shown that doing creative tasks, like cooking, makes us feel happier. Nicole Farmer, who studies how food impacts our biology, behaviour and mental health, told BBC online that “cooking represents the shared human experience of food, and nurturing people through food, so I think that’s where it incorporates opportunity for immediate positive emotions.”
当然，创造一些美味的食物帮助我们中的一些人度过了最近的封锁；它帮助我们转移注意力，让我们有事可做。例如，人们说，揉面团做面包给了他们一种平静和控制的感觉。研究表明，做一些创造性的工作，比如做饭，会让我们感觉更快乐。研究食物如何影响我们的生物学、行为和心理健康的妮可法默在网上告诉 BBC，“烹饪代表了人类对食物的共同体验，并通过食物来养育人们，所以我认为这就是它结合了立即产生积极情绪的机会的地方。”
Of course, cooking can be a very sociable activity and sharing the end result, a rewarding experience. Hopefully, as we start to mix with friends and family again, we can enjoy the benefits once more and put us all in the right frame of mind.
当然，烹饪可以是一项非常社交的活动，并且可以分享最终结果，这是一种有益的体验。希望当我们再次开始与朋友和家人交往时，我们可以再次享受这些好处，并使我们所有人都处于正确的心态。
词汇表
benefit 好处，益处
wellbeing 健康，安康
therapeutic 有益身心健康的
psychiatrist 精神科医生
occupational therapies 作业疗法，职能治疗
social skills 社交技能
mental illness 心理疾病
mind 精神，心理
socialisation 社会化
mental health 心理健康
get through 熬过（困难的时期）
take our mind off 不去想、忘掉（烦心事）
sense of calm 宁静感
nurture 精心照顾，滋养
rewarding 令人受益匪浅的，有意义的
frame of mind 心境，心态
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