What is Healthy Cooking?

Discover simple cooking methods that support food as medicine.
Learn practical, anti-inflammatory ways to prepare nutrient-rich ingredients at home.

What we eat becomes us — cellularly, energetically, and spiritually. If you think about it, our food choices shape who we are.

Bringing the concept of food as medicine into your kitchen does not need to be overwhelming or rigid. It does not require complicated protocols, encyclopaedic knowledge of nutrition, or expensive and rare ingredients. Instead, it begins with a subtle but meaningful shift in how we choose our food—honouring whole ingredients, working with seasonal produce, and using cooking methods that protect both nutrients and vitality.

When we talk about food as medicine and healing foods, we are talking about nourishment that supports the body’s innate capacity to repair, regulate, and restore balance. By paying attention not only to what we eat, but how it was grown, where it came from, what was sprayed on it, and how it was prepared, our everyday meals can become active participants in supporting our health, through simple, practical principles that create a foundation that is sustainable, realistic, and deeply supportive.

Start with Whole, Unprocessed Ingredients

The most powerful step towards anti-inflammatory eating is also the most accessible: choosing ingredients that remain close to their natural form. Whole ingredients contain a complex array of fibre, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds that work synergistically within the body.

When you hold a fresh apple, a bunch of kale, or a handful of raw almonds, you are holding a biologically intact food matrix your body instinctively recognises. Highly processed foods, by contrast, are often stripped of nutrients while adding chemicals, refined oils, sugars, and other processed and unpronounceable additives that increase the inflammatory load.

You do not need to overhaul your life and pantry overnight. Simply begin by increasing what is whole, step by step, rather than focusing on restriction or ‘can’t haves’. Add more fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits, cook more whole grains and legumes and eat more nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and fermented things — these are the staples of food-as-medicine cooking. 

When you can, choose locally grown and seasonal produce; it usually tastes better, is exposed to fewer agricultural chemicals, and delivers greater nutrient density and vitality, reflecting the environment it was grown in while supporting your local food system.

Embrace the Healing Power of Plants

Plants are central to anti-inflammatory eating because they provide phytochemicals that actively support cellular protection and regulation. These compounds help modulate inflammatory pathways, support detoxification, and protect tissues from oxidative stress.

Diversity is key. Each plant offers a different profile of compounds, so variety over perfection matters most. For example

Leafy Greens
Kale, spinach, silverbeet, swiss chard, bok choy, lettuces, rocket etc supply folate, magnesium, chlorophyll, and antioxidants that support blood health, mineral balance, and gentle detoxification. Adding greens towards the end of cooking or steaming lightly preserves their delicate nutrients.

Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts etc contain sulphur-containing compounds that support liver detoxification pathways, particularly phase II clearance.

Colourful Produce
Berries, beetroot, carrots, capsicum, and squash provide a range of antioxidants, polyphenols and carotenoids that help regulate inflammatory signalling and protect cells from damage.

Herbs and Spices as Everyday Medicine

Herbs and spices deserve their own place in the kitchen. They are concentrated sources of bioactive compounds and are one of the simplest ways to layer food as medicine support into daily meals. For example:

• Turmeric supports inflammatory regulation through curcumin, a polyphenol shown to influence inflammatory signalling pathways and oxidative stress.
  
  
• Ginger soothes digestion and supports circulation by stimulating gastric motility, easing nausea, and gently warming peripheral circulation.
  
  
• Garlic supports immune and cardiovascular health through organosulphur compounds that influence immune response, cholesterol metabolism, and vascular function.
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• Cinnamon assists blood sugar balance by improving insulin sensitivity and slowing gastric emptying, helping moderate post-meal glucose spikes.
• Parsley and coriander support mineral intake and gentle detoxification by providing chlorophyll and aromatic compounds traditionally used to support kidney and liver function.

These are not therapeutic doses in isolation, but regular, food-based exposures that compound over time. This is where everyday food as medicine quietly does its work.

Eating Healthy Fats

For years, we were taught to fear fat, but we now know that healthy fats are essential for cellular health, brain function, and hormone production. In anti-inflammatory cooking, we prioritise fats that support cell membranes, hormone signalling, and nutrient absorption.

Not all fats are created equal. We want to focus on fats that remain structurally stable and support the body without contributing to oxidative stress:

Extra virgin olive oil: A staple of the Mediterranean diet, rich in polyphenols and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that support cardiovascular and inflammatory health. It is ideal for dressings and low-heat or finishing use.

Avocado oil and coconut oil: These oils offer greater heat stability at moderate temperatures, making them suitable for sautéing and roasting.

Omega-3-rich foods: Walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and fatty fish (such as salmon or sardines) are crucial. They support the balance of inflammation by influencing eicosanoid pathways and cell signalling.

A simple, practical habit is to drizzle high-quality extra virgin olive oil over roasted vegetables, soups, or cooked grains after cooking and off the heat. This preserves the oil’s delicate beneficial compounds and enhances flavour and satiety.

Seed oils and highly processed vegetable oils, particularly those that are refined, deodorised, and repeatedly heated, can contribute to oxidative stress and are best minimised in an anti-inflammatory kitchen.

Choose Whole Grains and Legumes

Refined carbohydrates can disrupt blood sugar regulation and increase inflammatory stress. Whole grains and legumes, by contrast, provide fibre, resistant starch, and minerals that support steady energy, metabolic function, and gut health.

Brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and oats deliver slow-release energy, while lentils, chickpeas, and beans provide plant-based protein and fermentable fibres that feed beneficial gut bacteria, supporting the gut microbiome—a cornerstone of immune and inflammatory balance.

Healthy Cooking Methods

Finally, it is important to remember that how you cook matters just as much as what you cook. Preparing food in ways that protect nutrients, structure, and digestibility helps maximise its healing potential rather than diminishing it.

High-heat methods, such as deep-frying or charring, can create inflammatory compounds and destroy heat-sensitive vitamins. Instead, we encourage gentler cooking methods that support the body and preserve the integrity of food.

• Steaming
  Steaming is one of the best ways to cook vegetables. It retains water-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin C and B vitamins) and minerals that might otherwise be lost in boiling water. Steamed vegetables can be vibrant and crisp—simply dress them with lemon juice and olive oil for a nourishing side dish.
  
  
• Pan-searing
  Pan-searing at moderate temperatures allows quick cooking while preserving moisture and texture. Using heat-stable fats or water, and avoiding prolonged high heat, helps develop flavour through gentle browning without excessive oxidation or charring. This method works well for vegetables, nuts, seeds, and proteins, supporting digestibility and cellular integrity while maintaining nutritional value.
  
  
• Slow cooking and simmering
  Slow cooking allows tough fibres in meats, legumes, whole grains, and fibrous vegetables, along with connective tissue and protein structures, to break down gradually, making them easier to digest and absorb. Simmering soups and broths extracts minerals, amino acids, soluble fibres, and gelatin into the liquid, creating meals that are hydration-rich and supportive of cellular integrity and immune strength

• Moderate Roasting
  Roasting at moderate temperatures brings out the natural sweetness of root vegetables and crucifers through caramelisation, without excessive heat or added fats. When used with protein-rich foods, moderate roasting supports flavour development while minimising protein oxidation, helping whole foods feel comforting while maintaining nutritional integrity.
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  Raw Foods
  Some foods, particularly certain fruits, vegetables, sprouts, herbs and tender greens, are best eaten raw to preserve enzymes and heat-sensitive nutrients. Salads, smoothies, and fresh salsas and sauces are simple ways to incorporate raw freshness and vitality.
  
  

These methods respect the structure and integrity of food, supporting digestion, nutrient availability, and the body’s natural regulatory processes.

Your Kitchen Is Your Self-care Sanctuary

Healthy cooking is not about perfection or discipline, but about consistency and care. Small choices—using whole ingredients, herbs and spices generously, choosing whole grains, healthy fats, and gentle cooking methods—are how we use everyday food as medicine.

When you cook with intention and confidence, you support your health, encourage self-care, nourishment, and regulation within the body. This is the quiet power of cooking for your health and using everyday food as medicine—rooted in rhythm, not rules, and built meal by meal.