Feeling stressed? Here's how home-cooking could help

The lead up to Christmas always ends up being busy and can often result in burn out for some. The good news is cooking has been found to be an effective stress-reliever and what better time to cook up a heart-warming dishe or two than over the festive period?

A first step in the right direction of any weight loss diet is to minimise eating takeaways and convenience foods as they are often very high in calories which your body will store away as fat. But healthy cooking at home can be tasty especially when using something like a best health grill to recreate healthier versions of your favorite foods.

Not only is home-cooking a great way to get more up to scratch with how to eat healthily but a recent study conducted by vegan recipe kit brand Grubby found that cooking can have a great impact on your mental wellbeing.

The research assessed the effect of cooking on participants heart rate, productivity, creativity and relationships. The results revealed that 93% agreed that focussing on a cooking task helped them to relax and detach themselves from work.

As well as this,  73% were in agreement that cooking had an overall calming impact on their mood. While 100% agreed that cooking had an overall positive effect on their wellbeing and mental health.

Cooking therapy expert Charlotte hastings said, "Often when we have cooked a meal and are relaxed into our natural capabilities and sense of achievement with a full belly, we can feel more able to take on life's more complex challenges with a refreshed mindset."

This positive study supports other research carried out on the topic of home-cooking. A 2017 study conducted by the University of Washington School of Public Health previously discovered that those who regularly cook at home are more likely to consume a healthier diet and it is more cost-effective.

The researchers found home-cooking to be a helpful way for individuals to comply with U.S. Dietary Guidelines without increasing food expenditures. They believe that it could contribute to what they call 'nutrition resilience'.

If you are looking for a good way to wind down after a busy day of work and don't want to spend lots of money pre-Christmas then cooking your own meals could be a simple yet satisfying fix. Plus it is can be a transformative activity for both your mental and physical health.

If you need any guidance in its area then some of the best vegan cookbooks included in our guide will help you to find various healthy and yummy plant-based recipe inspiration for when you enter the kitchen.