Notes from Steve

I read (or saw on TikTok) that people who cook their meals at home have a lower risk of dementia.  I believe this completely.  I like to cook, and it’s not the eating of the food that makes me like it.  It’s putting something together and coordinating all the stuff to be done at the same time.  It’s the culinary dance.

I think people who take a chance doing something they aren’t great at and continuing the activity - well, they’re heroes in my book.  I was telling someone that when I first started to run for “fun” in the 80s, people would pull up beside me and ask if I needed a ride.  But I kept running for the next 20 years.  Was it fun? No.  Was it good for my body? - again, no - but it is something I’m glad I did, and it moved me towards other things (biking).

My perspective on this is that we all need to take steps in a creative way to challenge our status quo.  Doing stuff that is different from our nature – for me, running - rewired how I lived my life.  For the inexperienced home cook - maybe you are able to both save money and discover something new and creative.**  For sure, you will have better knowledge of what is in your food, the true cost and usually, leftovers.

Embrace innovation, try different paths.  Create new journeys.

*Overall Reduction: Cooking at least once a week reduced dementia risk by roughly 23% for men and 27% to 30% overall. The "Novice Effect": The largest risk reduction—between 67% and 70%—was seen in beginner or novice cooks with limited baseline culinary skills.

**I once was forced to take up knitting and it was awful.  Just the most anxiety I’ve had (with the exception of golf) in an activity in my life.