3 simple presences in a Japanese kitchen which helps nudge healthy habits

Identifying those central heart objects which act as a keystone presence to the environment in which it is placed

When it comes to healthful behavior change, I think a lot of the time we are made to believe that there is something intrinsically wrong with us and that we need to do something incredibly drastic to force ourselves against these “bad” impulses — counting calories, cutting out entire food groups, restricting ourselves to eating windows only a few hours long.

Sometimes we are offered even more complicated or drastic solutions such as all-liquid diets, only raw food meal plans, or a plain medicinal pill to force us into a “healthier” body. There are a lot of dogmatic voices out there telling us what we are doing wrong.

But I believe in a solution that is aware of our humanness, and that the healthiest person we meet is less so the most disciplined, put-together, or moral person that we know, but is someone who is in an environment — by consequence, or thoughtful deliberation — that is nudging of healthful habits and wellbeing principles.

Luckily for us, it doesn’t take a whole marble-tiled, kitchen island-inclusive massive space to accomplish.

Chu-shin objects and their impact on our wellbeing

There are certain objects — our “chu-shin” (中心), or in English, central heart objects — that command what our space becomes. Each is something which other acts revolve around, and can be described as a keystone presence to the environment in which it is placed.

They are simple, single objects which can help us make better decisions, nudge us towards true acts of self-care, and allow us to thrive. Like the keystone species in a complex ecosystem, their presence is more influential than any commitment to “willpower” for change — the key is identifying them where they are absent.

Here are 3 simple objects in a Japanese kitchen which helps nudge healthy habits:

A sharp, high quality kitchen knife

Does your employer expect you to work with an old and lagging laptop with constantly slow wifi? No, because it would make even the most inspiring of work a frustrating experience. Your kitchenware is the same.

I don’t think we talk about enough in the world of healthy cooking, how the prospect of struggling with something cheap and difficult to maneuver makes a task as easy as cutting vegetables something stressful and frustrating. It is not so much that someone is so lazy that they can’t bother cutting something, but it is that the experience of working with a dull knife that is so wearing that makes home cooking feel like a struggle.

Use a sharp, properly shaped kitchen knife (my favorite is among Zwilling’s santoku collection) and cutting, chopping, and slicing will feel natural to the soul, a calming part of the home cooking process to look forward to even.

A dish rag for cleaning

The space we cook in doesn’t necessarily have to be spacious, but it should be clean.

Sticky countertops, dirty cookware, and cluttered countertops which leave no room for preparing food is enough to deter even the most active cook.

But a clean kitchen, one that is ready for immediate use, evokes inspiration, motivation, and a desire to create something healthful for ourselves.

And sometimes the difference between the two is simply having the right tools for cleaning available on hand — a small dish rag which rests ready to mop up small spills and fallen crumbs could be the difference.

Proper tableware and silverware

Having the right tableware is crucial, and ugly, poorly designed, misshapen dishware is usually one of the main hidden reasons why people have trouble eating well.

Too big plates can make us eat too much.

Thoughtlessly colored tableware can make well-prepared food look unsatisfying.

Poorly shaped bowls can make the flavor get lost.

Incompetently chosen materials can also affect the temperature, texture, and taste of what we make.

So we add more salt, sugars, and sauces to already perfectly prepared food, and we end up eating more than we intend in an attempt to fill a satisfaction that has not yet been met.

Small plates matter. Beautiful plates matter. The idea of a favorite mug or spoon is not silly, and it’s why Japanese plating is such a big part of the eating experience.

Eating healthfully has less to do with our personality or genetics, but has more to do with having a cooking and dining environment optimally suited for eating healthy foods, moderate portions, and enjoying mindful meals.

For health is not about being morally superior or having to be well-disciplined, but is often about putting ourselves in an environment where willpower is not the driving force of our habits, but a natural result of a space where we feel most inclined to put our well being first.

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