When illness strikes, we often instinctively reach for something warm, familiar, and nourishing. In this episode, we explore the powerful emotional and biological forces behind comfort food—especially when we’re feeling unwell.

• A personal reflection: Our host shares a tender moment, stirring a pot of simple rice porridge while recovering from a tough bout of COVID. That steaming bowl isn’t just medicine—it’s a vessel of memory and care. 
  
  
• Emotional nourishment: Why do we crave comfort food? It’s more than just carbs and calories—it’s "emotional medicine." Food triggers nostalgia, safety, and belonging, harking back to moments when loved ones cared for us.

Self-care in a bowl: For some, being sick becomes an unexpected opportunity to practice gentleness. With your own spoon in hand, the simple act of serving yourself becomes an act of love—and embodiment of care you once received and now return to yourself.
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Practical healing recipes: We highlight nourishing Asian-style broths and congees—ginger chicken porridge, goji-infused soups, slow‑cooker herbal stews. These recipes lend warmth, comfort, and ease to your healing journey. https://soulbloom50.wordpress.com/2025/06/27/the-healing-spoon-why-we-crave-comfort-food-when-were-sick/

Most of us imagine turning fifty as a big, dramatic milestone — one that we either dread or try to deny with loud parties and bucket lists. But what happens when fifty doesn’t arrive with a bang… but rather, with a gentle knock?

In this very first episode of Caffeine, Chaos & Hotflashes, we dive into what it really feels like to be “found” by fifty, rather than chasing or fearing it. Our blog writer Galia shares her personal reflections on this surprisingly subtle transition, the lessons she uncovered, and why this chapter might just be the most freeing yet.

Grab your favorite mug, take a deep breath, and join us for a tender, honest, and sometimes funny conversation about aging, acceptance, and blooming right where you are.