[HSP] Recovering Mind and Body / How to Reduce the Stress of Daily Cooking
The reason why effortless meals are the best way to recover your mind — The choice to make pork miso soup with lots of ingredients
When you are balancing work and housework, the problem of
"What should I make for dinner today?"
always arises every single day.
And this is not just about meal preparation; it constantly involves
• The burden of thinking about nutritional balance
• The stress of making decisions about what to cook
• The psychological pressure of feeling like you "have to do it right"
These "invisible burdens" are always present.
Especially for people with HSP traits, this burden tends to be heavier due to characteristics such as:
• A strong sense of responsibility
• Being hard on oneself
• A strong feeling that one cannot fail
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■ The reason Yoshiharu Doi says "one soup and one dish is enough"is not "moralizing"Three years ago, I found and purchased a book by culinary researcher Yoshiharu Doi titled
"A Proposal for One Soup and One Dish."
"I want people who find cooking to be a struggle to read this book." "The amazing thing about rice and miso soup is that you never get tired of eating them, even if you have them every day."
These two sentences really resonated with me, and my home-cooking life changed significantly, reducing my stress a little bit.
It is not about "cutting corners," but rather a very rational way of thinking that daily meals should be
"to support your life"
and that being necessary and sufficient is what matters.
In other words, it is a life-design philosophy that:
• "Perfection" or "presentation" are not essential for daily cooking• The essence of a meal is to maintain your mind and body• It is important to make it in a form that you can continue without strain⸻
■ The reason why pork miso soup with lots of ingredients is "rational"
① Nutritional balance is almost complete in one bowl
The ingredients I usually put in are:
• Daikon radish
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Pork• Shiitake mushrooms
Depending on the season:• Komatsuna
• Green onions
• Chinese cabbage
• Ginger
With this, you get:
• Carbohydrates (potatoes)
• Protein (pork)
• Dietary fiber (root vegetables)
• Vitamins/minerals (vegetables/mushrooms)
• Fermented food (miso)
all in one dish. In other words, you can gain the peace of mind that
"you don't have to worry about nutrition."
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② "Warm soup" affects the autonomic nervous system
Warm soup:
• Raises body temperature
• Improves blood flow to the stomach and intestines• Calms breathing= Works in a relaxing direction.Since HSPs are easily tired by external stimuli, this
"mechanism where the body calms down first" is very rational.
⸻
③ Reduces the burden of decision-making (= stress reduction)
Thinking about "What should I make today?" every day is an act that consumes a lot of brain energy...
However, if you adopt a lifestyle where "it's okay because I have pork miso soup for a while starting today":
• You don't have to worry about the menu• You don't have to search for the "correct answer"• You have fewer reasons to blame yourself→ This becomes a valuable form of mental care.⸻
④ "The peace of mind that it's already made" supports your heart
If you have it prepared in advance:• Even if you come home tired from work
• Even if you don't want to think about anything
• You can have a "proper meal" just by heating it up
Just having this creates a sense of psychological stability.
⸻
■ For HSPs, it is important to understand that "not trying hard = not being lazy"
HSPs tend to set
"trying hard"
as their default setting. But Yoshiharu Doi's proposal is:• To continue living
• To protect your heart
• To choose a method that can be continued stably
This is not cutting corners, but a rational choice.
⸻
■ Conclusion
Pork miso soup with lots of ingredients is:• Rational in terms of nutrition
• Sustainable as a life design• Gentle on the autonomic nervous system• Reduces decision-making costs• Quietly removes the HSP's "I have to try hard" pressureIt's not just "warm miso soup," but I think it is a
life strategy to protect your heart.