This week M+K sits across the table with Desirée Gullan, author and executive creative director of leading digital communications agency, Gullan and Gullan. She talks with us about the power of food, creativity and how to enjoy the simple things.
1. My cooking inspiration…
My taste in food and cooking would be classified by my family and friends as bland. Though I prefer to describe it as simple and uncluttered. Which is pretty much how I like to live my life. Decades ago, I discovered Ayurveda (which means the knowledge of life and longevity) and it’s been my main source of cooking inspiration. I incorporating the Ayurvedic principles across most aspects of my life––fell in love with yoga and meditation and experimented with a “sattvic” diet. A sattvic diet is based on foods and eating habits that are pure, essential, natural, vital, energy-containing, clean, conscious, true, honest and wise. A sattvic diet can also exemplify “ahimsa”, which means the practice of non-violence, or not causing harm to other living beings. I’m vegetarian and as much as possible prefer to use organic ingredients.
A sattvic diet also places emphasis on seasonal foods, ripe fruits and veggies that are readily available, organic dairy, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, legumes, whole grains, and non-meat based proteins. And try my best to practice moderation in eating. I try to avoid “rajasic” or stimulating foods that provoke mental restlessness and can cause aggressive and dominating thoughts. Garlic, onions and spicy food make me agitated and disturb my sleep. Coffee though is my one exception. I drink two espressos and relish my one almond milk cappuccino every day.
Ayurveda also recommends eating sedative or “tamasic” foods in moderation as they can make you dull. The most fascinating part about using Ayurveda to guide your diet is you can use the three food groups as medicine. In times of physical or mental stress, tamasic foods can be eaten to slow you down, dull pain and allow the body to repair itself. In times when you are tired or lethargic, rajasic food can give you a much-needed boost.
2. A meal that reminds me of home…
My favourite home-cooked meal is breakfast. I’m a morning person, wake up with the birds. 4 AM is my best time to write. I cook organic oats, with a handful of mixed seeds and a handful of raisins. On days when I need a little pick-me-up, a tablespoon of raw honey added to warm (not hot) oats is pure heaven. Without a doubt, oats for breakfast always remind me of home. I’m yet to find a restaurant or hotel (when travelling) that can make oats as good as my home-cooked oats. Like I said, simple and uncluttered.
3. A life lesson cooking has taught me…
As with life, cooking is a process. First I make a conscious decision about what to cook, taking into account several aspects. What does my body feel like? What will be good for me and my loved ones? What season is it? What ingredients do I have available? How much time do I have? Then I go out and source the best ingredients. Quality ingredients make a more delicious meal. The same applies to life. The quality of our thoughts and actions determine our outcomes. Preparing the ingredients should be done mindfully. Wash, chop, mix and cook with love and gratitude to the earth, the farmers and storekeepers. Be aware of the cycle of life. The final act is offering up a wholesome cooked meal to our own bodies and to our loved ones. What an honour to be able to share food and life with friends and family.
4. When I want to be creative I…
Read. Reading fills me up. Not just literature or fiction but news and current affairs. The world is so full of wonder and interesting people, things, places, beliefs, innovations and events. When I need to solve a creative challenge, I walk. Research proves that walking boosts creativity and I know from experience that going for a walk helps me step closer to finding solutions.
5. The most transformational book I’ve read is…
The Wisdom of Healing by Dr David Simon. It showed me the path to Ayurveda, yoga, meditation and showed me that it’s possible to be whole, joyful and healthy.
6. The routines that keep me grounded are…
Down with the sun, rise with the sun. Early to bed, early to rise. I also work hard every day at my business and my passion. Read every day and always, always remain curious.
7. I recently learnt…
How much I love the simplicity of being at home. The recent lockdown forced me to be more still and settled than I’ve been in a long time. It forced me to go deeper inside myself. I have travelled extensively on many soul searching adventures, practised at the feet of Mr BKS Iyengar, hiked to elevations higher than Everest Base Camp in the Himalaya, done extended mediation and silent retreats, but this recent lockdown has made me realize that everything we need to know is already inside of us. We just need to be still long enough to hear it.
8. Favourite random act of kindness…
Open my heart and look people in the eyes. Be present. Keep my heart open. When someone asks for help, I do my best to assist, whether money, food, a shoulder to lean on.
9. To make a difference in my community I…
Respect all people irrespective of age, race, creed, gender or social standing. I also respect all living beings. From cows, pigs, dogs and cats right through to mosquitoes, ants and flies. I try not to cause harm but to spread love and truth. I also believe in the transformative and healing power of story-telling, which is why my fiction writing has become such a necessary passion for me. My books tell stories that are not only entertaining but also socially engaged and transformative and show people a better way.
10. Right now, I’m grateful for…
My health. We don’t realize how blessed we are to have healthy bodies until we get sick. Or until we are threatened with a potentially deathly virus. Now more than ever we need to look after our bodies by eating healthy nourishing foods, in moderation. We need to live sustainably and consciously, being aware of the impact of our consumption. I am also grateful for the life I have lived, my journey so far, with all its difficulties and triumphs, peaks and valleys. My experiences have made me the person I am and nurtured my craft and my love of writing and am now ready to share it with the world.
Desirée Gullan, is an author and executive creative director of leading digital communications agency Gullan and Gullan. She is a multiple award-winning creative innovator with nearly 30-years of commercial writing experience. Desirée has postgraduate degrees in Literature and Psychology and has written across sectors, for a multitude of mediums. Her experience in commercial writing has helped develop her fast-paced, riveting style of fiction writing.
To connect visit:
Website: www.desireegullan.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desireegullan/?hl=en
