如今，有一些人提倡烹飪有益身心健康。烹飪的意義不只在于做好飯菜，同時也在于 “廚師” 的心路歷程。合理飲食對身體有益，但事實證明，烹飪對我們的心理健康也好處多多。本文圍繞這個話題展開討論。

詞匯：health 健康

‘We are what we eat’ – or so the saying goes. From calorie-inducing meals to low-fat lunches, much of our health depends on what we eat. We know about the benefits of eating properly for our physical wellbeing, but food – and cooking it – is proving to be good for our mental wellbeing as well.

Some people are now advocating the therapeutic value of cooking food. It’s not just about the end result but the experience someone goes through. Dr Mark Salter, a consultant psychiatrist, told the BBC: “Baking and cooking are good occupational therapies that help patients develop planning skills, short-term memory and social skills – all of which suffer in mental illness.”

TV chef and author Nadiya Hussain agrees that cooking is great for helping our mind. She loves to bake and became the champion of the TV show, The Great British Bake Off. She says that “Baking’s always been about therapy... It’s never really been about the cake.” And she thinks that baking is an important tool for our socialisation and mental health.

Certainly, creating some delicious food has helped some of us get through the recent lockdown; it’s helped take our mind off things and given us something to do. People have said that kneading dough to make bread, for example, has given them a sense of calm and control. Research has shown that doing creative tasks, like cooking, makes us feel happier. Nicole Farmer, who studies how food impacts our biology, behaviour and mental health, told BBC online that “cooking represents the shared human experience of food, and nurturing people through food, so I think that’s where it incorporates opportunity for immediate positive emotions.”

Of course, cooking can be a very sociable activity and sharing the end result, a rewarding experience. Hopefully, as we start to mix with friends and family again, we can enjoy the benefits once more and put us all in the right frame of mind.

詞匯表

benefit 好處，益處
wellbeing 健康，安康
therapeutic 有益身心健康的
psychiatrist 精神科醫生
occupational therapies 作業療法，職能治療
social skills 社交技能
mental illness 心理疾病
mind 精神，心理
socialisation 社會化
mental health 心理健康
get through 熬過（困難的時期）
take our mind off 不去想、忘掉（煩心事）
sense of calm 寧靜感
nurture 精心照顧，滋養
rewarding 令人受益匪淺的，有意義的
frame of mind 心境，心態

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or false? What you cook is more important than the process of cooking it.

2. What type of cooking does TV chef and author Nadiya Hussain think is good for our socialisation and mental health?

3. Why was cooking during lockdown good for many of us?

4. According to research, what kind of tasks make us feel happier?

5. Which part of the bread-making process has given some people a ‘sense of calm and control’?

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. One of the _______ of working from home is that I get to spend more time with my children.

wellbeing                  benefits                   nurturing                  social skills

2. I find painting very _______. It helps me relax.

therapy                     therapying               therapeutic               therapies

3. Doing crosswords is good for our _______, particularly in old age.

mind                         get through              rewarding                 therapying

4. The water fountain added to the _______ when we arrived at the hotel spa.

sensing of calm        calm sense             sense of calms          sense of calm

5. We put the _______ of our employees at the centre of everything we do. It is important that they’re healthy and happy.

getting through          wellbeing               therapeutic                 social skills

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. True or false? What you cook is more important than the process of cooking it.
False. Cooking is not just about the end result but the experience someone goes through.

2. What type of cooking does TV chef and author, Nadiya Hussain, think is good for our socialisation and mental health?
She thinks that baking is an important tool for our socialisation and mental health.

3. Why was cooking during lockdown good for many of us?
Cooking during lockdown helped take our mind off things and gave us something to do. 

4. According to research, what kind of tasks make us feel happier?
Research has shown that doing creative tasks, like cooking, makes us feel happier.

5. Which part of the bread-making process has given some people a ‘sense of calm and control’?
People have said that kneading dough to make bread, for example, has given them a sense of calm and control.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. One of the benefits of working from home is that I get to spend more time with my children.

2. I find painting very therapeutic. It helps me relax.

3. Doing crosswords is good for our mind, particularly in old age.

4. The water fountain added to the sense of calm when we arrived at the hotel spa.

5. We put the wellbeing of our employees at the centre of everything we do. It is important that they’re healthy and happy.