The force of vacuum and pure signal
In my youth as a chef, I believed that complexity was the mark of talent. I would multiply flavors, textures and ingredients on a single plate, thinking that the more I added, the richer and more energizing the meal would be. But with experience, I discovered a fascinating paradox: it is by reducing the number of ingredients that we really increase vital energy. When I started simplifying my meals, keeping only the essentials, I feared feeling frustrated or weakened. The exact opposite happened. I felt a surge of vitality, a clarity of mind and a physical strength that complexity had always hidden from me.
Complexity creates metabolic 'noise'. The body must decipher a multitude of contradictory signals, manage complex chemical combinations and mobilize crazy energy to assimilate everything. On the other hand, a simple meal sends a pure and direct signal. It's like going from a deafening hubbub to a crystal clear melody. This reduction is not an impoverishment, it is a clarification. By eliminating the superfluous – especially the filling carbohydrates that often accompany complex dishes – we free the body from an unnecessary burden. We leave room for the raw strength of the real ingredient.
The economy of internal effort
Digestion is one of the most energy-intensive processes in our body. The more different ingredients a meal contains, the more varied enzymes the digestive system must produce and the longer the processing time. By simplifying the plate – for example, a nice piece of fish and a single type of green vegetable – we drastically reduce this workload. There are no more enzymatic conflicts, no more unwanted fermentations linked to inconsistent mixtures. Digestive progression becomes natural, fluid and rapid.
This saving in internal effort immediately translates into a gain in energy available for the rest of life. Instead of being monopolized by the stomach for hours, energy is redirected to the brain, to the muscles, to creativity. We no longer experience this post-prandial lethargy which forces us to slow down. We finish eating and we feel ready to act, to think, to move. Simple digestion is the foundation of an active life. It is the discovery that well-being does not come from what we add, but from what we have the courage to remove.
Total presence on the plate
With few ingredients, each of them takes on capital importance. We can't cheat anymore. We can no longer hide a mediocre product behind a complex sauce or a bulky side dish. This requirement for simplicity requires us to pay increased attention. We choose each element with extreme care, we prepare it with absolute precision, and we taste it with total presence. This intimate connection to the meal is in itself a source of energy. It nourishes the mind as much as the body.
Eating mindfully, savoring the truth of a pure ingredient, triggers a much deeper response of satisfaction than mechanically ingesting an overloaded dish. The brain receives clear and rewarding information, which stabilizes mood and strengthens willpower. We discover that satiety is as much a matter of perception as it is of biology. By being fully present to what you eat, you need less to feel satisfied. Simplicity then becomes a form of daily meditation, a ritual that energizes and centers us.
Quality without compromise
Reducing the number of ingredients allows you to invest more in the quality of each of them. Instead of buying ten average items to make a complex dish, I buy two exceptional ones. I choose the freshest fish, the most vibrant vegetable, the purest oil. This focus on quality ensures maximum nutritional density. We provide the body with vitamins, minerals and fatty acids in their most bioavailable form, without diluting them with empty calories or cheap fillers.
This is where the logic of low-carb makes sense. Fast carbs are often used to bulk up inexpensively. Eliminating them frees up budget and space for nutrients that actually provide sustainable energy. We no longer eat to fill ourselves, we eat to build ourselves. Every bite becomes an investment in our own vitality. Quality is not a luxury, it is a necessity for anyone who wants to live with intensity. Fewer ingredients, but ingredients that carry within them the force of life.
A philosophy of power
As I learned to retrench in my kitchen, I came to apply this wisdom to all areas of my life. I understood that power does not come from accumulation, but from concentration. By eliminating distractions, unnecessary commitments and unnecessary possessions, we gain clarity and efficiency. The kitchen is the laboratory of this philosophy. It teaches us that less, when true and chosen, creates infinitely more of what really matters: freedom, health and joy.
This wisdom of retrenchment is particularly valuable with age. We no longer have time to waste on the mediocre or the complicated. We want to get straight to the point, get to the essence of things. My kitchen has become a reflection of this quest. She is direct, honest and powerful. She doesn't seek to please everyone, she seeks to nourish those who are ready to see beauty in simplicity. It is a form of maturity that brings deep peace and inexhaustible energy. To retract is to enlarge.
Simplicity as a source of power
Ultimately, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, but it is also the ultimate source of power. By simplifying our plate, we regain control over our biology and our energy. We cease to be victims of industrial complexity to once again become masters of our own vitality.
I encourage you to at least experience it. At your next meal, try reducing the number of ingredients. Pick one or two, but make them perfect. Prepare them with love and attention. And notice how you feel afterwards. You will discover that energy comes not from quantity, but from the purity of the signal. Simplify your plate to amplify your life. It is the secret to a vibrant existence, and it is within the reach of each of us. The strength is in the essential.
