How Well-Being Photography Helped Me Eat Healthier: A Mindful Food Photo-Session
We all know that photography is an incredibly powerful creative asset that can facilitate many positive aspects for our life, don’t we?
In a tiny and calm kitchen corner, Espoo, Finland, 2024
If not, here is article to give you a perspective into therapeutic photography practices to improve your well-being. I usually use a combination of photography, design thinking and therapeutic art practices. Ready to dive in?
Lassilan Tila, Espoo, Finland, 2024
In this article, I'll share an experiment I did last weekend using photography to encourage myself to eat healthier. This well-being photo game is a warm invitation for you to use photography to cultivate healthier eating habits in your life.
Maybe you make a colourful fruit picnic, maybe you try out a new salad recipe and add some of those edible beautiful flowers on top, maybe you just want to play as being a cook for one Sunday!
Why to try out photography & cooking?
Reason 1. If you do not like to stay in the kitchen for hours cooking, photography makes it feel more cooking more fun and exciting and makes you more resilient, as well !
Reason 2. Often, we feel lazy or anxious when trying new recipes. But a photo session idea can quickly motivate you to start creating something beautiful!
Reason 3. If you usually start to cook when you are already hungry, you lost the game. Of course, everybody wants something fast, healthy and delicious. A food photo-session needs planning - so take this as an opportunity to learn how to plan beforehand!
What happens in our brain when we feel hungry?
Hunger gets your brain into the animal state
When hungry, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning and complex thinking, get overridden by the basal ganglia, which controls basic needs and desires like hunger. This could explain why we prioritize quick solutions (familiar, fast food) over the planning and effort required for a creative culinary experience.
This photo-game brings a more sustainable and affordable solution to your doorstep
I designed this photo-game with a twofold purpose:
-to train my brain for a new creative approach towards photography
- to cultivate mindfulness while cooking.
If you are like me and usually have this need to finish fast, eat, and go back to what you were doing, I highly recommend to try this out!
+ Save Money & Boost Creativity!
This method can also help you avoid the often-expensive pre-made cakes . By taking control of the process, you can create sustainable and affordable homemade treats and improve your creative and photography skills at the same time!
Why setting intentions is important
Let me get this straight: I do not consider myself a very good cook and I do not necessarily like staying in the kitchen and try out recipes just for fun! I’d always rather grab a quick snack and head outside with my camera.
But my intention is what matters here. My intention is to eat healthier and have a balanced well-being. I would like to cook healthy for my family and be creative with my cooking and eating habits so I can turn it into a more enjoyable process. I use photography to support this intention.
I also use this photo-game as an ‘‘excuse’’ to make time to learn about healthy eating. This helps me stay engaged with my intention and gives me a boost of inspiration for my photography practice.
Step 1: Plan.
Put on your thinking hat! Imagine all the healthy and delicious possibilities. What would you love to create and enjoy?
Choose ONE HEALTHIER recipe. You can take it from cook books, blogs, you can ask your mom or a friend for a suggestion. The idea is to pick one recipe. If the recipe feels complex, ask someone more experienced than you to join your game. And now you have a double-well-being-win. Your social life will improve as well!
Pro tip
Sticking to your pre-planned list at the grocery store is a powerful tool! It helps you avoid impulse buys and stay on track with your healthy eating goals.
Step 2: Set your ingredients, gear and extra props you need!
After you got all the ingredients for your recipe, I suggest you prep them in the portions needed for your recipe. It does not only look good to see all the small containers filled with different textures and colors, but it also allows you the space for your creative cooking session and ensures a fluid creative process.
Then, grab your camera (your phone is also ok, yes).
Also:
- a tripod if you have
-an extra light if you have (yes, you can bring a a professional light or any light you have in your home because, as I said: we are here to play!) I liked the light in my kitchen so I kept the set as it was!
-any other props you want to play with!
Pro Tip
Look for kitchenware that looks nice to you. You can look for a color theme or simply look for interesting textures.
Or bring flowers, ceramics, fabrics - anything that can help your cooking process and your food as pleasant as you want: both visually and emotionally.
Step 3: Start the Food Photo-Session!
The nice thing to remember is that photographing your food can be much more than a snapshot! It can help you connect and be more mindful with the food you eat.
Just place your camera next to you and set it beforehand to have it ready for the moments your eyes see something interesting that speaks to you.
Pro tip
Set a simple intention. It can be to put all the ingredients in a nice composition before cooking, or it can be to document yourself while cooking or simply to take one nice beautiful photograph at the end with your cooking result - be it good, fair or excellent outcome!
Friendly Reminders
Do not get very serious with it, imagine you are a child and you play roles: being a cook,a designer, a photographer. Allow yourself to swtich roles and allow play. Even house items can be turned into your toys for this well-being photography practice
Be kind to yourself. Remember you play with cooking and photography. If you messed it up, then have fun and photograph the mess!
Like anything else, excess is never healthy. If you choose to follow my recipe, enjoy carrot cake as an occasional treat and pay attention to both quality and quantity! Here are some tips to make it a bit healthier:
Use whole wheat flour or another whole grain option.
Reduce the amount of added sugar.
Use natural sweeteners like dates, honey or maple syrup (in moderation).
Add healthy fats like nuts or seeds.
Enjoy smaller portion sizes and share it with the others.
Multicooker Turbo Cuisine Tefal
Note: I am using a multicooker (it was a present from my parents that made my cooking easier in the last 2 years), so the recipe is from the cookbook for Turbo Cuisine Multicooker Tefal.
Make it yours!
I went further with my creativity and adapted the recipe for a healthier one. For instance, I knew I wanted a dairy-free option different from the one offered in the book. I went for Oatly's Swedish "Turkish oat-yogurt’’ combines with their vanilia cooking cream.
I also added some green lime zest and peeled its cover into the mixture. (Special tip: Fill a big bowl of fresh cold water and let your fruits and vegetables sink in a mixture of water, white vinegar and some essential oils if you have around - this helps you eat healthier by removing pesticides from your fresh food! I posted a link on how to do this at the end of this article).
After I baked the carrot cake, I simply cut it in two to create an upper and lower layer. You can try more layers if you want! After that, I got excited to create a real celebration cake with cream and extra fruits! As a matter of fact, the next day my partner and I got an important email from a business contest we applied to – that we got accepted to their program! It seems following your intuition in your creative process might go a long way. Try it for yourself!
If this recipe feels too complicated, do not beat yourself up! There are plenty of easy vegan/vegetarian recipes available online if you search for them on Google. Your chosen recipe might take you only 10 or 15 min to prep if you want to!
A topic to reflect in May: Health vs Well-Being
Health often refers to a physical state. It's about the absence of disease and the proper functioning of your body. Think of it as a binary state - you're either healthy or you're not.
Well-being is a broader concept that encompasses your physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It's more about a continuous journey of striving to feel good and live a fulfilling life.
Here are some ways "well-being" goes beyond just "being healthy":
Mental and emotional well-being: Feeling happy, fulfilled, and having a sense of purpose.
Social well-being: Having strong relationships, feeling connected to others, and having a sense of belonging.
Spiritual well-being: Having a sense of meaning and purpose in life that transcends the self.
Want to boost your well-being in a fun way? Try this:
I. Improve your well-being and photography skills and make a positive change in your life in less then 3 months. You can do that. I show you how in my mentorship program.
II. Love photography but do not have the resources to invest now? Reserve your seat for the future you! Join Well-Lens well-being photography course interest list & get 20% off today!
III. Not sure yet? Join our well-being photography community! I offer free monthly feedback to members for their photo-games!
IV. Want to learn more? Find more well-being photo-games on Instagram @creativeharmony.art . Subscribe to the new Creative Harmony Youtube channel where I share insights into Finnish culture, creative photography tips, and glimpses into the artistic life of me and my partner - two international creative entrepreneurs working, creating and living in Finland.
If you would like to know more about photography and/or healthy eating, please add your thoughts in the comments so that I can share more with you in the future!
See you soon! May this May bring fresh creativity and joy!
Additional Sources to guide your well-being journey : 7 Hidden Benefits of Planning5 Natural Sweeteners That Are Good for Your Health
Food Photography: Why is it importantHow to Easily Remove Pesticides From Your Fruits and Vegetables
