Venerable Seonjae’s Self-Care: Turning to the Kitchen When Anxious ================================================================== For Venerable Seonjae, the kitchen was both a place to prepare food and a space where she regained a sense of control over her life amid a health crisis. However, this should not be generalized to mean that avoiding certain foods can treat anxiety or cirrhosis. - For Venerable Seonjae, the kitchen was a space for the practical work of caring directly for her body and daily life amid a health crisis. - Regular cooking and meals can help restore the disrupted routines and sense of control that often accompany anxiety. - A balanced diet centered on vegetables and whole grains aligns with general health principles, but claims that specific foods directly worsen anxiety must be verified separately. - There is no established universal clinical evidence that green onions, garlic, or meat cause anxiety; it is more accurate to understand their exclusion as a principle of spiritual practice in temple food. - People with cirrhosis should not try to treat it through diet alone, but should receive medical care and nutritional counseling tailored to the cause, ascites, and nutritional status. In the story of Venerable Seonjae, the kitchen is not merely a place to prepare meals. It is a space for self-care, where she observes her body in the face of a health crisis and anxiety and regains a sense of control through actions she can take every day. However, an individual’s experience of recovery must be distinguished from medical causality that applies to everyone. Natural foods or temple cuisine can offer useful elements of a healthy diet, but they are not substitutes for treating anxiety disorders or cirrhosis. Why Did Venerable Seonjae Go to the Kitchen? According to the story presented, Venerable Seonjae was diagnosed with end-stage cirrhosis around the age of forty, after which she reassessed her existing eating habits and began preparing her own food. The important point in this narrative is not the conclusion that one particular ingredient cured her illness, but that she chose a daily routine she could control amid a crisis. The tasks performed in the kitchen are small and concrete. Choose the ingredients to eat today. Follow the steps of washing, cutting, and cooking them. Pay attention to hunger, fullness, and digestion. Reduce overeating and impulsive eating. Prepare the next meal again. Anxiety causes people to repeatedly anticipate future dangers, while cooking redirects attention to present sensations and a sequence of steps. Rather than being treatment in itself, this repetition can be understood as a supportive practice that helps restore predictability in daily life and a sense of self-efficacy. What It Means to Prepare a Meal When You Are Anxious When anxiety is severe, people may skip meals or, conversely, overeat quickly. They may also rely on caffeine or alcohol, or experience disruptions in their sleep schedules. These changes can intensify physical sensations such as a racing heart, fatigue, and digestive discomfort, making anxiety feel even worse. Therefore, “eating properly” does not mean following a special healing diet so much as restoring the following basic conditions. Element Example practice Potential role Regularity Eating at consistent times without going excessively long without food Reduces abrupt changes in hunger and daily rhythms Balance Including grains, vegetables, and protein-rich foods together Provides necessary energy and nutrients Managing stimulants Observing your personal reactions to caffeine, alcohol, and excessively spicy or salty foods May help reduce physical symptoms that can easily be confused with anxiety Eating slowly Paying attention to the cooking process and the sensation of chewing May help you focus on the present activity and reduce overeating Keeping records Briefly noting food, sleep, and anxiety symptoms Provides information for identifying recurring personal triggers Preparing a meal is not a test aimed at eliminating anxiety completely. It establishes the basic conditions your body needs to cope and creates a foundation for taking the next step. The Practical Benefits of Vegetables and Grains The World Health Organization’s healthy diet principles recommend consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains while limiting sodium, free sugars, and unhealthy fats. These principles overlap with several characteristics of temple cuisine, but the two systems are not identical. Vegetables and whole grains generally provide dietary fiber and various micronutrients. Foods such as beans and tofu can serve as sources of plant-based protein. However, balance is not automatically guaranteed simply because a diet is vegetarian. Food prepared with excessive salt or an insufficient total intake cannot be considered healthy, and the intake of nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and protein must also be reviewed based on the composition of the diet. For people with cirrhosis in particular, securing sufficient energy and protein may be more important than simply “eating lightly.” Sodium may need to be restricted when ascites is present, but the required level varies depending on the person’s condition. Arbitrarily eliminating multiple food groups or fasting for extended periods may increase the risk of malnutrition and muscle loss. Interpreting the Claim That Green Onions, Garlic, and Meat Increase Anxiety In Venerable Seonjae’s explanation, stimulating ingredients such as green onions and garlic are described as foods that direct energy outward and disrupt inner tranquility. This explanation can be understood from the perspective of temple cuisine and Buddhist practice. Avoiding meat is likewise connected to Buddhist respect for life and principles of practice. From the perspective of modern medicine, however, no universal clinical evidence has been established that eating green onions or garlic directly increases anxiety in the general population. Green onions and garlic are ingredients that provide nutrients and flavor in an ordinary diet. The health effects of meat also vary according to its type, quantity, level of processing, and the overall diet, so it cannot be regarded as a single cause of anxiety. It is therefore accurate to understand this claim by dividing it into the following categories. The language of spiritual practice: A dietary principle intended to reduce stimulation and facilitate observation of the inner self. Personal experience: If a particular food causes heartburn, a racing heart, or sleep discomfort, its intake can be adjusted. Medical claim: A conclusion that a particular food causes or treats an anxiety disorder requires separate clinical evidence. Unless there is a clear reason such as an allergy or gastrointestinal disease, it is easier to identify the cause by adjusting one factor at a time and recording changes in symptoms rather than prohibiting several foods all at once. What to Keep in Mind When Reading Cirrhosis Recovery Stories Cirrhosis is a condition in which scar tissue accumulates due to chronic liver damage and liver function declines. Potential causes include chronic viral hepatitis, prolonged excessive alcohol consumption, and fatty liver disease associated with metabolic abnormalities, and treatment varies according to the cause and complications. Even if an individual says their condition improved after changing their diet, it is difficult to conclude that this was the effect of diet alone. Stopping alcohol use, treating the underlying disease, medication, weight changes, and medical management may all have contributed. An interpretation such as “end-stage cirrhosis was cured with natural foods” is a much stronger medical claim than the original story. If you have or may have cirrhosis, the following principles should take priority. Seek medical care to identify the cause and assess current liver function. Avoid alcohol in accordance with guidance from medical professionals. Do not add or discontinue prescription medications or dietary supplements on your own. Do not automatically reduce protein and calorie intake; have your nutritional status evaluated. Seek prompt medical care if you develop ascites, swelling, jaundice, vomiting of blood, black stools, severe drowsiness, or confusion. Natural ingredients and medicinal herbs are not always safe for the liver either. If you have liver disease, inform your medical team about concentrated extracts and dietary supplements before using them. How to Read Food Philosophy Alongside Medical Evidence The value of Venerable Seonjae’s story lies less in the prescription that “eating a certain food will cure an illness” than in the insight that “care can be put into action even amid a crisis.” To apply this insight safely, three levels must be distinguished. Level Key question How to assess it Philosophy and tradition What kind of life and mindset does it aspire to? Understand it within the tradition of spiritual practice and its cultural context Personal experience What changes did that person experience? Respect it as meaningful testimony without automatically applying it to others Medical evidence Does a particular method prevent or treat a disease? Confirm through clinical research, medical guidelines, and evaluation by medical professionals This distinction is not intended to dismiss personal experience. Rather, it provides a standard for preserving the practical wisdom that experience offers while preventing unverified treatment claims from delaying a patient’s medical care. A Practical Meal for an Anxious Day There is no need to reproduce special temple cuisine perfectly. Within the limits appropriate for your medical conditions and allergies, you can keep a meal simple by including the following. One familiar staple, such as rice or whole grains One or two vegetables, cooked or raw One suitable protein-rich food, such as beans, tofu, eggs, or fish Water or a low-caffeine beverage Food prepared without excessive salt or strong seasoning On days when you lack the energy to cook, you can use foods that require little preparation, such as frozen vegetables, instant rice, and unsweetened soy milk. The key is not a perfect natural diet, but caring for your body without skipping meals. If anxiety continues for several weeks or more or interferes with work, school, or sleep, it is advisable to seek an assessment from a mental health professional. If you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide or find it difficult to keep yourself safe, prioritize immediate help through local emergency services or a crisis support organization over managing your meals. FAQ Q. Why did Venerable Seonjae go to the kitchen when she felt anxious? A. Amid a health crisis, she went there to care for herself through concrete actions such as choosing ingredients and preparing food, rather than relying solely on others. Cooking and eating can be practices that restore order and predictability to a disrupted daily routine. Q. Can eating vegetables and grains cure anxiety? A. A balanced diet that includes vegetables and whole grains supports overall health, but it is not a standalone treatment for anxiety disorders. If anxiety persists or interferes with daily functioning, counseling or a medical evaluation should also be sought. Q. Do green onions and garlic really worsen anxiety? A. There is no established, broadly applicable clinical evidence that green onions and garlic directly increase anxiety in the general population. The principle of avoiding them belongs mainly to the context of temple cuisine and spiritual practice traditions, and if an individual experiences digestive discomfort or other symptoms, they can track their reactions and adjust their intake. Q. Can cirrhosis be reversed simply by changing one's diet? A. It should not be generalized that cirrhosis can be treated through diet alone. Treatment of the underlying condition, abstinence from alcohol, medication, management of complications, and adequate nutritional support may all be necessary, so specialized medical care should take priority. Q. Should people with cirrhosis reduce their protein intake? A. Not all patients with cirrhosis need to reduce their protein intake, and excessive restriction can worsen malnutrition and muscle loss. Protein and calorie requirements should be determined with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian based on liver function, complications, body weight, and nutritional status. Q. What is good to eat on days when you feel anxious? A. A practical approach is to combine familiar grains and vegetables with protein foods that suit you, without overdoing it. Avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, and if you feel that certain foods trigger symptoms, it is advisable to track meals, sleep, and symptoms together to verify this. Q. Is all temple cuisine healthy? A. Temple cuisine has the advantage of using a wide variety of vegetables, grains, and legumes, but the name alone does not guarantee nutritional balance. Total intake, sodium, protein, and the composition of vitamins and minerals should all be considered. Sources - WHO Healthy diet fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet - National Institute of Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders - NIDDK: Treatment for Cirrhosis: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/cirrhosis/treatment - NIDDK: Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Cirrhosis: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/cirrhosis/eating-diet-nutrition Images - A Buddhist nun stands with eyes closed before a kitchen table set with vegetables, tofu and brown rice: https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODkxNiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--c9f4529a503ac24fb09a1a4043fc2118aaf120e0/ai-1923b40c.webp - Healthy meals, a stethoscope, and a liver symbol between a kitchen and clinic: https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODkyMiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--bac703d451ff5e0ec19bb9cff1c0e07fe55376cd/ai-71fd1594.webp --- Category: Knowledge Base Source: https://injoys.com/en/articles/seonjae-monk-cooking-anxiety-and-self-care License: cc_by Translation-Status: reviewed