A Dash of Hope - How Cooking Helped Me Cope
If you come across my social media, there are two things you are guaranteed to see, no matter what day it is.
The first thing is obviously running.
The second thing is food.
Why food?
My infatuation with food, and cooking, all started about 2 years ago.
If you haven’t noticed already, I train A LOT. I run every day, and it fills up a considerable amount of my time.
I had injured myself, and although I wanted to continue training as much, I just couldn’t.
I found myself with more downtime and a reduced sense of fulfillment.
See, I’m the person who fully commits to my undertaking.
I am devoted to everything I decide to do, which includes my training schedule.
A void had appeared, and I was struggling.
My mental health was deteriorating and I was constantly feeling down.
It was not looking good.
Until one day, I realised what the issue was...
...I actually had no hobbies.
You know, something you do because you just kind of enjoy it?
I was incredibly bored.
Prior to that point in time, my fulfillment was directly linked to my training progress.
Nothing else.
I began to reflect, and I started searching inward to find that thing.
That missing piece of the puzzle.
There was one thing that kept coming up.
Food.
In my childhood, whether it was just at home, a weekend getaway, or a special event, family time always centered around a good meal. It also just so happens that everyone in my family is an amazing cook.
Lucky me, because I love to eat.
Probably sounds silly, because most people do, but I REALLY love to eat (a lot).
I have also spent heaps of time studying nutrition in my role as a coach, and have become quite attuned to my relationship with food.
So I gave cooking a solid go.
Not that I had never cooked before. But this was the first time I really dived right into it.
I went all in, and I never turned back.
It was the best decision I could have made.
My boredom had been cured and I was back to my better self.
And since then, cooking has continued to deliver many blessings to my life:
A creative outlet - from the dish creation itself, to plating, and even to how I speak about food.
Something to look forward to throughout the day that isn’t training related.
The opportunity to give more to those I love, like dinner-time with my wife, and connecting with friends and family - especially my mum.
A connection building topic of conversation.
An escape from my perpetual need to achieve.
An enriching daily activity that I can explore freely with a sense of unpressured joy.
That sense of hope I needed when I was starting to lose it.
Cooking is a positive outlet in my life that helps me manage mental health and overall well being.
Something I want to continue sharing with you all.
So if you love cooking and food as much as I do, feel free to check out my Stories Through Food.
Yours in running (and cooking) and life,
Daniel Lucchini