My kitchen is now GUT- FRIENDLY

Hello readers!

Thank you for coming back to this space. After re-reading the humungous rant in my last blog, I felt I was losing my mind. I think I was very hormonal then. I can imagine that whenever Menopause would set in, it is going to be 100x this breakdown.

I was quite overwhelmed and emotional about my kitchen space being very tiny as compared to my Ancestors. Then that evening, I stood there, barefoot, in the middle of my tiny kitchen, looking intently at it. The place where I’ve cooked many meals made me feel as if it was closing-in on me. Staring at the cluttered counters, the piling pots sitting in the corner, and the drawers that jam every time I open them, made me claustrophobic. I kept thinking as to how many times I need to organize them, it’s exhausting - not just physically but mentally too. I needed some breathing room and a bit of a corner of calm in this daily chaos. I leaned back against the fridge, closed my eyes for a moment, and whispered a small prayer to find a long-term solution. As I opened my eyes, I looked up at the sky through the window, filled with hope. Taking a deep breath, I turned around, still looking upwards, something in my head murmured. My eyes landed on the bare walls above the cabinets, and there was still so much space there.

“Go higher. The space you need has been waiting for you.”

Dramatic? I know. But a theatre artist like me visualizes everything as though it was my performance day. Finally, I found a solution to reduce at least a miniscule of my problem.

I got some DIY storage cabinets which could fit the heights of the wall and empty the space on the floor. The things I don’t tend to use daily was stored on the top shelves and the ones I need daily, would be at my hand's length on the lower shelf. I also got some transparent storage boxes to make cooking staples easy to find. I used the side of Refrigerator to I stack some magnetic jars for my spices, to be at fingertips and installed over-the-sink dish stand to drip dry them and keep them ready for usage. I also go a few varied sized pots which can fit into each other perfectly while storing, to save space.

I bought some glass and steel base containers for storing my cooked food in the refrigerator so I can cook bigger portions and store in fridge. I did away with all hormone-disrupting plastic containers, so I don’t fall back on my old practices. This practice I intend to highlight, for all young ladies, and your menopause will thank you.

I have started experimenting and getting mastery on one-pot recipes and making bigger batches of it on weekends. I also keep some staples like tomatoes and onions pre-chopped in fridge to reduce decision fatigue. This could also ease the brain fog during Menopausal stage.

Nuts and fruits are always handy. I stock up to kefir and Greek yogurt for those snack-attack times of the day to enhance my nutrient intake. A bit of fermented stuff to continue feeding the trillions of healthy bacteria in my gut. Our gut bacteria are unique to each one of us, and we need to be mindful if we are feeding the heroes or the villains inside us. I add lots of fiber rich foods too- so I take care of pre-biotics as well as pro-biotics supply. What’s the difference between them, you ask? Well, then wait for the next blog.

Last but not the least, I decluttered my Phone, by deleting all the food delivery apps. I have kept phone numbers of few restaurants in the surrounding, just for emergencies. But till then, home-made is comforting.

And the day I want to be treated like a Queen (which is daily though) I would pull out the red elegant silk gown with the most flattering silhouette, spray the jasmine amber on my pulse points, brush my tresses into liquid velvet, point-perfect eyeliner with dash of liquid lipstick on my pout, an addition of pearl earring with matching bracelet, comfortable stilettos and completing the look with a smile- I shall walk into one of those Michelin starred restaurants for a Fine dine.

Would anyone like to joining me?

About the blogger: 

Dr. Tabassum Inamdar is a dynamic Homeopath, a passionate artist, and an adventurer in life. She writes a series of blogs related to health and wellness. A sketch artist since childhood, she loves authoring stories and poetry. She continues life’s adventure by trekking, Sky diving, or Marshalling at Formula 1 tracks. You may stalk her @doctabu (IG) or say hello @tabu.inamdar (FB)