Welcome -- Philosophy and Inspiration
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GROUND WORK:
Welcome to Mufeed Nutrition and The Journal. My vision is to create a space where we can learn and share some words around food and the experiences surrounding it. Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I have a big heart for food rooted in my belief that food is a gift from God. Through this space I intend to honour food. Unlike a health, restaurant review, or recipe blog, this blog continues to ask the question of, What does it mean to have a relationship to food? By investigating this question, you can expect to find content about food, society, nutrition, culinary arts and life itself.
A few things I would like to share to set the stage for the content of this journal/blog:
This is my dream- Mufeed Nutrition has been a passion project in the works for over two years. It has shifted shape and intent over the years, and I am so thrilled to finally have the privilege of sharing it with people (eeeek! This is huge for me.). As with any dream, as it actualizes it will will continue to evolve and grow (how exciting!).
I speak from my own experience / experiences of folks I have sought perspective from, meaning that my experiences are limited to me and my world. The world of food is vast, and everyday I learn something new and exciting about food, cooking, nutrition, growing food, spices… on and on. This is a huge reason why food fascinates me so much.
When I write, I compare it to chatting with a friend over some coffee/tea - my writing style continues to evolve and grow and to me, capturing the thoughts and experiences around food is of utmost importance and may not be perfect. I ask for forgiveness for any mistakes/shortcomings I make in this journey.
My hope is to create a community around food and the experiences related. This requires that there be 2-way engagement around the things I share. I encourage you to interact and engage with my content. As an extrovert, I feed off of people’s vibes, and appreciate knowing that the content resonates with the world in which I share it. Stay in touch!!
A LITTLE ABOUT THE name:
Mufeed is an Arabic word that translates to "Beneficial".
Growing up , I was constantly reminded that food is a gift to humanity; and in particular the foods that are pure and wholesome. There is so much variation when it comes to the flavours, colours, aromas, and textures of foods available to us. Here is something to chew on : If food's purpose was to simply be a source of energy (counting calories) for us, why are we blessed with the plethora of foods on this planet? Instead, we have so many variations of foods to chew-s from! Why do we feel and experience an array of emotions when we are consume certain foods? Why do we spend close to an average of 4 hours a day consuming or preparing our meals? And, most importantly, what does all this mean? These questions, coupled with my everlasting love for food and nutrition, led to the birth of Mufeed Nutrition. Mufeed Nutrition is a space that focuses on the beneficial and pure elements of life, and in particular on food. I am a product of the mix between the eastern and western ways of eating and living, which has had a profound impact on me, and it is what makes my coaching practices, journal entries, and perspective unique.
Food is such an intimate part of our lives as living beings. What we eat becomes us, the food we grow and seek enlightens our souls and brings about a higher level of consciousness around what we eat and why. I am so fortunate to have had incredible food heroes in my life who, from an early age, engrained in me the love of cooking and sharing meals. From there, sprung an eternal curiosity around food and everything related. I have shared the extent to which this endeavour is dedicated to both my grandmothers, my Paternal Grandmother whom I am named after (Fatima D.), and my Maternal Grandmother (Widad Kilaji). They have both shaped my heart and perspective around cooking and for that I am eternally grateful (3 Aliens from Toy Story). They are the Great She Elephants of my family, and I embark on this journey to follow in their food steps. In paying homage to their legacy, I am working on The Great She Elephant e-zines - a collection of recipes, art, and commentary on food, packaged simply in the folds of an electronic zine.
MuFeed Logo Design Type. 10/15 - Character is carved into a Lionel tile as part of a design project in University.
Grandmother's hands, and Wheat Brick cereal - a nightly tradition ever since childhood.
Mufeed Nutrition began in February 2017, in my 1-bedroom apartment on Treaty 6 land in Northern Canada during my time as a student. During my studies, the intersections between food & society became apparent, and the idea of housing these observations and thoughts was encouraged by my close friends and family. Additionally, recipe sharing has always been a part of who I am, so I started Mufeed Nutrition with the intention to build dialogue around food and society and use the skills I acquire along the way to help others.
MuFeed Brand brainstorming. 2/17
My inspirations to begin MuFeed Nutrition (in no particular order):
My Grandmothers - both my grandmothers are considered to be the best cooks in their respective families (and I'm not saying that just because they are my grandmas). From a young age I was inspired by their level of passion, love and detail which they paid to food. I learnt a number of tricks, tips and lessons from the both of them related to food. Their legacy inspired The Great She Elephant e-zine, read more here.
Cooking - Every part of cooking fascinates me, and has for as long as I can remember. Everything from food preparation, cooking styles and steps to plating food makes me come alive. I believe that all steps leading to food influence the way that food affects us. I am an amateur chef that spends a good chunk of my time in the kitchen!
My baby sister - My youngest sister (4 years old at the time of inception of Mufeed Nutrition) reminds me of the simple things in life. Her presence and innocence reminds me of the responsibility that we "adults" have to the younger generations that follow us. There is a wisdom that was shared with me from a Canadian Indigenous tradition that says something along the lines of " plan for 7 generations ahead of yours when making decisions". Watching her grow and become the human she is serves as a reminder in my life to ensure our upcoming generations are taken care of; and knowing how to build a healthy and sustainable relationship with food is one of the ways we can care for their future.
Islam and the Messenger ﷺ - From reading the Quran (holy revelation in Islam) at a young age, I realized that food was frequently mentioned and referred to. I have a deep fascination with the relationship with food and Islamic tradition. I was curious to investigate these foods, and as research shows, the foods mentioned in the Quran are proven to be pure and beneficial yielding health and benefit for the human body. In addition, the lifestyle of the Messenger ﷺ guides us to certain ways of eating. Topics such as fasting, balance, rule of thirds (not the same as photo taking rule) as well as topics such as posture and chewing our food properly are all some of the many elements surrounding food that are discussed in the Islamic tradition. Great scholars of Islam such as Imam Ghazzali have discussed food and the etiquettes surrounding the experience.
It has taken me some time to step out of my comfort zone and begin this journey of sharing stories of food. By the grace of God, the love and support of my close friends and family, Mufeed Nutrition has come to fruition. Welcome :-)