By Richmond Natural Medicine

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December 19, 2017

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With the new year, we are presented with the opportune time to clean, declutter, and transform our kitchens into inviting, joyful spaces.

One of the most common difficulties I hear from people when working together to develop a nutrition plan is that they “don’t have time to cook”, or they “don’t enjoy cooking”, or “cooking is such a chore”. Quite often, after further questioning and digging a little deeper, it becomes obvious that their kitchen is simply a space that they don’t want to be in. Period. It’s cluttered, dirty, unorganized, filled with negative (or resentful) energy, or simply not a functional space.

It’s very common for people to view food and cooking or lack of time as the culprit for their difficulty in preparing meals, but it’s truly remarkable to see what a huge difference it makes when you transform your kitchen into a positive space.

Short of tearing down walls and renovating the entire kitchen, there are several options for transforming your kitchen affordably and quickly and at your own pace.

• First, ask yourself what about your kitchen do you really love? Your answer here will help you choose what to elaborate on or further include in your space.
• Second, ask yourself what about your kitchen is truly bothersome? Is it too dark? Too sterile? Too small or too cluttered?

Where to start…

1. Bring indoor plants or herbs into the kitchen. The addition of an aloe plant, fresh flowers, rosemary plant or a couple of kitchen herbs like sage, thyme, or mint can make the space feel more alive, aromatic and less sterile. Touching, smelling and utilizing these plants every day will also greatly enhance your relationship with the foods that you prepare too!
2. De-clutter your counter space as much as possible. Counter space is for preparing food, not storing jars, cooking vessels, or spices. The more cluttered your kitchen counters, the harder it is to keep them clean.
3. Clean out your drawers and cupboards. This is more of an afternoon or weekend activity, but it’s alarmingly easy to stock up on pots, pans, utensils, kitchen gadgets and odds and ends that you never use anymore. Going through and purging out old or unused items from your kitchen and pantry will likely open up a tremendous amount of extra space and make the kitchen feel more open, spacious and usable.
4. Add a touch of fun.  Portable speakers, a small chalkboard for recipe ideas or notes, or colorful gemstones on the windowsill can create an inviting atmosphere. If you feel anger or resentment about being the one who “cooks all the time” at your house, then make it your own and add items that are welcoming and joyful.
5. Smudge out the space if you’ve had a bad day. The kitchen is easily one of the most resented rooms in the house for so many people. I truly feel like rooms (and houses in general) can store energy and it lingers for days, months or years. Smudging with white sage or cedar can help to clear the space and renew the energy.
6. Clean up when you’re done. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink to do later (or especially for someone else to do later). It’s a defeating feeling to walk into a kitchen to prepare a meal and have last nights dirty dishes in the sink. That can easily deter anyone from taking the time create a healthy, home-cooked meal.

Start with one task at a time, and work slowly to transform your kitchen into a space that feels good for you. Once you develop a space that feels comfortable, clean, spacious and inviting, it’s wonderful to see the changes that take place in your cooking and nutrition routine!

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.