Nourishing the Body, Feeding the Soul

14 September 2026 By Latasha

I was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and living with it has been teaching me lessons I didn’t particularly ask to learn.

There are days when my energy is not what I’d like it to be. My appetite can be low, and the symptoms and medications can take their toll, both physically and mentally. But this chapter of my life is also reminding me of something I’ve believed for a very long time, that food is about so much more than simply filling our stomachs.

It’s nourishment. It’s pleasure. It’s comfort and connection. And sometimes, it’s one of the simplest ways we can show ourselves a little kindness.

What I’m experiencing has made me think more about how we look after ourselves when we’re not feeling our best. And I know I’m not alone. Illness, stress, tiredness or simply feeling under the weather can leave any person with less energy to cook and less interest in eating. So I wanted to share some of the things I’m learning about making good food a little easier, getting more from the smaller meals we can manage, and still finding pleasure in food and the moments we share around it.

Learning to nourish myself differently
When you don’t have much of an appetite, a large plate of food can be a bit overwhelming. I’m learning that nourishing myself doesn’t necessarily mean sitting down to three substantial meals every day. Sometimes smaller and lighter is better. The important thing is making those smaller meals count.

A couple of eggs with vegetables, a small bowl of soup, some lentils, yoghurt, a little chicken or fish, or a simple plate of fresh ingredients can be much more appealing than a heavy meal. Variety matters too. A variety of vegetables, proteins, legumes, grains, herbs and spices all bring something different to the table.

It’s changed the question I ask myself. Instead of thinking, “I really should eat a proper meal,” it’s more likely to be, “What could I enjoy eating that will give my body something worthwhile?”

That feels much less like a chore.

Good food doesn’t have to be hard work
Of course, there is another reality when you are not feeling your best. You may not have the energy or inclination to spend a long time in the kitchen. And that’s perfectly fine.

I’ve spent much of my life cooking, developing flavours and feeding other people. Yet I’m increasingly appreciating the value of very simple meals. A shortcut doesn’t mean compromising on flavour, and it certainly doesn’t mean you haven’t made yourself a proper meal.

This is also where I am rediscovering my own products in a slightly different way. A spoonful of something already packed with herbs, spices and flavour can do much of the work for you.

My Homestyle Curry Paste, for example, isn’t limited to making a traditional curry. I can use a little in an omelette with eggs and whatever vegetables I have available, or add it to tofu, tempeh or vegetables for a quick meal.

For something lighter, my Thai Green Curry Paste works beautifully with vegetables, tofu, eggs, rice, soup or noodles. You don’t need an elaborate recipe. A small bowl of vegetables and protein in a fragrant broth can be enough.

On another day, I might warm some lentils and vegetables with a little Coriander Curry Paste, which works particularly well with legumes and dahl. Add some baby spinach or other greens and you have something warm, comforting and satisfying without spending hours preparing it.

Even lunch can be incredibly simple. Tuna on good bread or crackers with some salad and a little Zingy Tomato Chutney turns basic pantry ingredients into something much more interesting.

The aim isn’t to create a culinary masterpiece every time we eat. Sometimes the achievement is simply making something nourishing, colourful and delicious enough to tempt your appetite.

Simple ideas for low-energy days
I’ve been thinking more about the meals we can make when neither our appetite nor our energy are particularly high.

Try scrambled eggs or an omelette with vegetables and a little curry paste. Heat tinned lentils with spinach, tomatoes and a spoonful of curry paste. Make a quick soup using good stock, cooked chicken, frozen vegetables and a spoonful of Thai Red Curry Paste for warmth and depth.

A simple coconut curry can be little more than vegetables, your choice of protein, coconut milk and curry paste. Make enough when you have the energy and freeze some in small portions for the days when you don’t.

And there’s nothing wrong with a plate that doesn’t look like a conventional meal at all. A boiled egg, cheese, fresh vegetables, hummus, crackers and a favourite relish can be just as welcome when a full meal feels like too much.

On better days, cook a little extra. Tomorrow’s lunch may already be sitting in the fridge.

Nourishment isn’t only about nutrition
There is another kind of nourishment I have been thinking about lately, and you won’t find it on a nutrition panel. It comes from people.

One of life’s great pleasures is sitting around a table with people we love. The meal doesn’t need to be elaborate. Nobody needs to have spent all day cooking. It might be some simple ingredients gathered from the fridge, a pot of curry in the middle of the table, or a simple meal somebody else has prepared.

What matters is what happens around it. We talk. We laugh. We tell stories. We check in with each other. We forget about other things for a while. Food creates a reason to stop and come together.

When you’re dealing with health challenges, it can be tempting to withdraw when you’re tired or simply not feeling like yourself. I’m learning that those are sometimes the very moments when connection matters most.

Perhaps you don’t feel like cooking for everyone. Let somebody else cook. Perhaps you can’t manage a big meal. Have a small plate. Perhaps you don’t feel like entertaining. Forget entertaining. Invite someone you love to sit at the kitchen table with you and share something simple. It still counts.

Appreciating the ordinary things
Health challenges have a way of changing your perspective. They can remind you that there’s an enormous amount of joy tucked into very ordinary days. For instance, a conversation with someone you love, sunshine, music, laughter, a phone call from a friend. It could be the smell of something delicious warming on the stove. It might be sitting down at the end of the day and realising that, despite everything, there were good moments in it.

And, of course, there’s that wonderful moment when you haven’t felt particularly hungry, but you taste something delicious and suddenly find yourself enjoying food again. These aren’t small things. They are life.

Feeding others, and learning to nourish myself
Food has been such a huge part of my life. I’ve spent years thinking about ingredients, flavours and recipes and about the pleasure that comes from feeding other people.

One of the lessons I’m learning now is that I need to extend some of that same care to myself. That means not always cooking from scratch. It means not always eating a large meal just because I think I should. And it means not always doing everything myself.

Sometimes nourishing myself means choosing a small meal packed with good things. It means reaching for something that makes cooking easier. It means accepting somebody else’s help.

And sometimes the best nourishment of all is sitting around a table with people I love, eating whatever is in front of us, laughing and remembering just how much there is to enjoy about being alive. Those are the meals that feed much more than the body.