YUM Living
YUM Living is a way of life. Simply put, YUM is about relishing in the pleasures of daily living. The form this takes in the YUM Living philosophy is “responsible hedonism”— a lifestyle reminiscent of the ethical hedonism spoken about by Greek philosopher Aristippus of Cyrene over 2000 years ago. Life is to be celebrated and cherished. In this effort, service and responsiveness to others and the planet are as important as pleasure-seeking for the self. So, while delicious and simple-to-prepare recipes are an important part of the YUM Living experience, in many ways, the dishes themselves are just one concrete means of enabling a joyful, mindful and respectful way of living.
In common with other species, we all share the need for food in order to survive. We also love pleasure and prefer to avoid pain and discomfort. Ideally, we desire all of these things with as little effort as possible!
YUM accepts and embraces these elements as inherent aspects of human nature. Like Taoism, it acknowledges life as it is, instead of rejecting, judging or trying to control it (efforts that are typically futile and not sustainable anyway). By respectfully honouring our natural and instinctive human tendencies, YUM Living invites us to enjoy the pleasures of living mindfully and discovering remarkable possibilities for deepening and transforming our daily existence into a compassionate and sustainable form— the core essence of YUM Living.
“You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us. And the world can live as one.”
– John Lennon (Imagine)
Together we can make the world a better place…
General Principles
- Inclusion and community: Because YUM is about inclusivity, acceptance and love, anyone and everyone can be a part of the YUM Living community, regardless of what food you do or don’t eat:
- vegetarian/vegan (or not)
- gluten-free (or not)
- refined sugar-free (or not)
- junk food (or not)
- raw (or not)
- No perfectionism: Because it separates us from ourselves, others and the natural way of the world, perfectionism is not embraced as part of YUM.
- No “shoulds”: Because they rob us of the experience of gratitude and joy, expectations and judgement are not welcome.
- Real food can be delicious: YUM rejects the belief that food needs to be unhealthy or difficult to make in order to be delicious.
- Personal power is celebrated: YUM is about welcoming our experience of personal power, creativity and uniqueness, leaving no room for victimhood, self-flagellation, guilt or shame.
- Plant-based food is beautiful and life-giving: YUM Living is about increasing our plant-based food intake because we want to, knowing that our bodies like it and because it feels good to do something meaningful in the service of other beings and the planet itself.
- Live outside of the box (if that’s where you feel at home): YUM Living is about unabashedly living freely and fully as the quirky being that you are. You can hug trees, sing with the birds, talk with the squirrels or do whatever your spirit moves you to do—all in celebration of the privilege of living.
- FUN: Having fun is a core reward of YUM Living in and out of the kitchen. Go ahead: drink of the sweetness that touches your life. Life is here to be lived, so eat, love and live it fully—every delicious step of the way!
