Why The Healing Kitchen?

Class Schedule for Spring 2008!
Class Schedule for Fall 2008!


The kitchen is a place where families congregate, where debates start and finish, where family traditions become firmly rooted, and where bodies come to re-new and re-energize. It is a gathering place where sounds, sights and smells mingle and blend together to serve up an aromatic dish of love and community. It is the hub of a family home and the place where healing can begin.

Hippocrates said it many years ago and today scientists, doctors and nutritionists agree, “Let food be thy medicine.”: Never has it been more true that the food we eat determines our health. We are exposed to hundreds of toxins daily, toxins that destroy living cells, toxins that damage organs and tissues, and toxins that negatively impact our immune system. Fortunately, there is balance and we have at our disposal foods to target these toxins, neutralize them and initiate healing. Many of the common herbs and spices used to prepare our favourite dishes offer our bodies a cornucopia of healing potential.

For instance, turmeric, used in Asian and Indian curries have been found by researchers in India, to contain compounds that may prevent cancer. This bright, yellow powder with its earthy aroma and sharp, spicy flavour may also help lower cholesterol and triglycerides and prevent excessive blood clotting. Some spices have the ability to assist in neutralizing these harmful substances: nutmeg, ginger, cumin, black pepper and coriander have been shown to help block the effects of aflatoxins, a mold that can cause liver cancer.

Oregano, known for the wonderfully pungent flavour and aroma it adds to Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

Rosemary, an aromatic herb used as a complement to pork, duck, lamb and soy beans, when used as a hair rinse, can promote healthy and vigorous hair growth. Ancient Greek scholars would wear a sprig of this delicious herb in their hair to aid in memory and intellectual endeavors.

Creating your own healing kitchen means developing strategies to ensure you have the time and energy to prepare health-filled meals. It means viewing food and the preparation of meals, as more than a pleasurable diversion but more importantly as a form of therapy, healing and growth.