Food
Global Christmas: Recipes from around the world
Where Mind Meets Body, On Your Plate
John Core, Sodexo Culinary Nutrition Lead
“Mind–Body” Talk
The phrase “mind–body connection” gets used everywhere. It sounds right, it feels instinctively true, and most people would agree with it without hesitation. But if you stopped and asked someone to explain exactly what that means, or more importantly, how to act on it through food, the answers would often fall short.
What we tend to see is a surface-level conversation. Short, polished snippets that reference stress, hormones, or the nervous system. They’re easy to consume and easy to agree with, but they rarely go far enough to be useful. You’re left with the sense that food affects how you feel, but without a clear understanding of how that actually works in practice.
From my culinary nutrition point of view, that gap matters. If the goal is to help people make better choices, the message has to be practical. It has to translate from science into everyday decisions. That means stepping away from general statements and focusing on clear, tangible links between the food we eat and how we think, feel, and function.
When you strip it back, the connection between the mind and the body doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need to understand every hormone or pathway to make sense of it. There is a simpler, more direct way to look at it, and it starts with understanding one system that we influence every single day.
Where Mind Meets Body, On Your Plate
Food for your mind is both science and experience. John Core explores the gut-brain connection and what eating well really looks like in the real world. Download to read on.
Middle Eastern Shakshuka with Butter Beans, Spinach and Herbed Yoghurt
Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp harissa paste
- 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 × 400 g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach
- 3–4 eggs
- 150 g Greek yoghurt
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and soften the onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 3–4 minutes to build flavour. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, and harissa, allowing the spices to toast gently before adding the chopped tomatoes.
Simmer the sauce for 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened, then fold in the butter beans and spinach, cooking until the spinach wilts. Season to taste, then make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs in. Cover and cook gently until the eggs are set to your liking.
Mix the Greek yoghurt with lemon zest, herbs, and a pinch of salt. Spoon over the shakshuka, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of toasted seeds, and serve straight to the table.
Tip:
Serve with wholegrain flatbreads or toasted sourdough. You can add aubergine or courgette for extra plant variety, or swap eggs for tofu if you want a plant-based version.
