Do certain smells bring back memories for you? They do for me. Every time I walk into an Italian restaurant; I think of my aunt’s kitchen on Christmas day.
Certain aromas can go straight to your head or your olfactory bulb which is your brain’s smell center. And boy can they spark a flurry of emotional memories.
Like all the wonderful aromas of the holiday season. This can be such a fun time of year. Family and friends gather to spend time sharing food, cocktails and gifts.
Some women enjoy the rush of shopping for holiday bargains. Others bake cookies or prepare family recipes and treats.
Whatever you do, whether it’s purchasing or preparing, I hope you always remember to find the joy in it.
When I was a kid, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends used to gather at one of my aunt’s houses for a holiday feast. And a feast it was. I can remember walking into my aunt’s home smelling the amazing aroma of her pasta sauce.
I used to love how my aunts came together in the kitchen yacking and laughing as they put the final touches on our bountiful feast. I would peek my head into the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about. And there they were, my mother and her sisters all talking at the same time having a ball.
All my aunts and uncles have since moved to heaven. But I certainly remember the joy we experienced during those holiday gatherings. Those feelings of coming together as a family made it a wonderful holiday treat.
For this holiday season I hope you find joy and experience less stress around food because you have a little more knowledge around what to do to keep your metabolism revved. Once you stop thinking DIET and start eating foods to enhance your metabolism, the stress around food decreases and the joy of coming together increases.