“Through stomach to mind – cooking handbook”

Aims of the practice and description of participants -	Participants are adults suffering from mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, depression, etc.) or others (e.g., epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, problems with moving) who are aged between 20-55 and have various education level. -	Sum up a couple of years of weekly cooking and literary workshops that allows participants to get to know dishes from different regions of Poland and world (Silesian, Czech, Peruvian, French).

This practice is accessible to: -	Adults experiencing psychological or mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, depression, etc.). -	Adults with often low social competences and insufficient resourcefulness in life who need to be support in returning to everyday social and professional activity. These adults haven’t nothing to pay and mustn’t have to prove their disabilities by a medical certificate. This last condition allows participants to avoid self-stigmatize. The only condition to benefit from the services of the Center is to have a conversation with a psychologist in order to define the expectations of each participant.

Resources, Materials needed -	Paper sheets. -	Mobile phones. -	Computers. -	Computer graphic artist for the creation of the magazine.

Duration 5 months for the main stage of the project but several cooking workshops and literary workshops must be held before it.

Step-by-step - what has to be done? 1.	Combine practice with daily activities like: - Community meetings where participants can ask questions, dispel doubts and discussing on the details of the project. - Weekly workshops where participants can gradually develop their skills in order to build their motivation to take part in more advanced activities. In addition, participants took pictures of the dishes, wrote the recipes and planned cooking workshops as well.

During these workshops, participants were the main actors: - They decided on one dish, wish ingredients and taste is suitable for all of them? - They asked themselves what do they like? - What changes should be made? - How much weight does personal taste have in the perception of art? - Is it worth it to be yourself as a creator or to repeat the same patterns? - Who has succeeded in literature? Finaly, guests such as people from diverse country, nutritionists, biologists, herbalists and specialists about vegetarian and non-gluten diet took part of the workshops.

2. Publishing of the handbook in a cooking-literary magazine entitled “Pots on Warszawska Street” which was sent in paper/digitaly to institutions supporting people suffering from mental crisis in order to inspire them. The final result contains, advice and ideas for conducting cooking workshops, recipes and literary pieces made by participants about the problems they faced.

Learning Outcomes - which skills are addressed? -	Team working, tasks planning and sens of relationship. -	Public speaking, self-confidence and self-agency. -	Practical skills such as cooking, baking, writing (e.g., prose and poetry) and taking photos. -	Adopt a healthy eating and diet.

How do you check the outcomes are reached? Undetermined.