My top ten

I HAVE always believed that food is so much more than fuel for the body. It is not only a life source, but something that offers up infinite possibilities and inspirations. It can get your creative juices flowing, give you solace in times of need and more. With that in mind here are 10 top ways food can inspire you. 

Create: Cooking is a way to express yourself and can offer an infinite number of possibilities. You can make a dish your own by adding an extra touch or presenting it in a certain way. You can try so many new recipes, which will fire up the imagination and get the creative juicing flowing. 

Love: Food can help us express our love for oth-ers. Whether it is a romantic dinner date, creat-ing special moments while cooking together or surprising your parents with a well prepared meal, good food can help increase the bond of love. Also don’t forget there are plenty of foods with aphrodisiac qualities. 

Memories: Food brings back so many great memories. A certain aroma or a certain taste can take you back many years. Food reminds you not only of where you come from, but of the ones you’ve met along the way. 

Health: Perhaps the biggest determining factor of health is what you consume. Choosing the right foods not only provides us with the energy we need to deliver quality work, but also helps us live the long healthy life we all desire to have and gives the brain fuel to get inspired. 

Community: There have been so many inci-dents where members of the community have come together over food at public functions, where they have exchanged ideas and bonded. Also communities can come together and be-come stronger through local restaurants, which become a meeting place for everyone. 

Employment: Those who do what they love will always feel inspired and plenty of them work in the food industry. Whether it is chefs, local farmers or those who run restaurants like my-self, they get inspired every day to find new ways to provide for others. 

Cultural awareness: Often the first experience many will have with a certain country will be through the restaurant serving local cuisine. This helps to build a bridge of understanding and gives a glimpse of the vibrancy of another culture through the food. Allowing others to ex-perience my country through the Indian restau-rant I run in Spring Arbor, Michigan, USA, is something that inspires me every day 

Conversation: When there is more than one person at a meal, there will always be conversa-tion, which will subsequently lead to new ideas. Food can also be a conversation starter and the beginning of a new friendship. 

Helping others: I see the opportunity to help others as a blessing. We can help so many peo-ple with food, including feeding those who are in need. Whether it is feeding someone who is homeless or preparing a meal that gives some-one comfort in their time of need, it is always an uplifting experience to help others and will inevitably inspire you to do more good deeds. 

Senses: Whether it is formulating a new idea or experiencing something new, everything is con-nected to the senses in some way. Food stimu-lates the senses. So allow food to trigger your senses and take you towards something new.