Italian Simp
Lessons we can apply to cycle syncing from Italian food culture + recipes.
I grew up in a big Italian American family and when I had the opportunity to travel on my own, Italy was nowhere near the top of my list. I was a non believer. I was sure the food was mids and the whole thing had been over hyped. Dead wrong.
My first trip to Italy was in 2021 road tripping through the country. Munching on Puglian olives and developing a low key pasticciotto addiction. The south’s really always had my heart.
From the moment I stepped foot onto Italian soil she welcomed me home with open arms. There are a zillion reasons to love her but for the sake of staying on topic, I’d like to talk about my favorite thing, Italian food culture.
First of all food is the culture (obsessed). It is the love language. It is the connection that transcends generations. At the foundation of this food culture is simplicity, slowness, and appreciation. These are the same ideals shared by new age chefs as we try to build a cooking landscape of food that makes you feel as good as it tastes. Fermentation, regenerative agriculture, veg forward plates…Italy’s been doing it.
The past few weeks I spent at cooking school in Calabria reminded me that the ideas I’m trying to make approachable in my kitchen are nothing new. People are living amongst food, practicing moderation, intuitive eating, seasonal eating, local eating, and they make it look easy.
They know where their food is coming from because it’s their neighbor. They don’t mind spending a day peeling artichokes because an amazing dinner shared with loved ones is the ultimate end goal. Eating in Italy you can feel that every hand involved in getting your food to your plate did so with the highest vibrations.
How do we bring this home?
I think it comes back to the idea of simplicity.
Things don’t have to be hard. We are free to enjoy because life is for living. In the kitchen this doesn’t mean we have to lose intricacy but we do need to reprioritize. Instead of forcing ourselves to conform to the latest cooking trend or on the flip side stay in line with the way things have always been done, we can choose to flow with what is in front of us. This is where the greatest meals are born.
By taking the time to get present we can create with authenticity for ourselves and the people we feed. Be honest about your situation. If you can’t get tomatoes then fuck the tomatoes and sub in what is available to you. This brings us right over to cycle syncing. The practice that asks us to stop swimming against the stream and see how beautiful life can be when you move with the flo.
Cycle Syncing and the Italian Kitchen
At first glance cycle syncing, the idea of eating around your menstrual phases, seems complex. Truthfully, like with Italian food culture, cycle syncing can be distilled into a core belief. The center of cycle syncing is to follow your own natural rhythm. To get quiet enough to hear what your body is dying to say, actively listen, and take aligned action. It is simple, but our brains tend to make it harder.
Is it a big deal if you eat a cold salad while you’re on your period? Not really. Does it matter if you steam rolled your body asking for a heaping bowl of warm, hearty nourishment and piped it down with a wet pile of romaine? For sure. Intention matters. Our relationship to ourselves matters.
The more time you spend working with the menstrual cycle, the stronger the bond becomes and the easier it becomes to make simple choices that benefit you. To help you dive into ez breezy Italian cooking I’ve got two recipes for you this week and another two next week.
We’re kicking it off with a funky follicular phase flatbread inspired by a life altering panini I ate in Italy and an ovulatory phase toast that grabs flavor from the mighty pistachio. Both come together in less than 10 minutes, can be modified for one or a dinner party, and rely on yummy ingredients. Head over to the site for the recipes and phase specific ingredient benefits.
Happy to be back with you in a new form.
XO
Katie