Let food change your life: food is more than fuel
Food - it’s one of our most basic needs and it gets a lot of attention. I believe this is the case due to its essential role in our lives. As a car needs gas to get from point A to point B, our bodies need food to fuel our most basic function. This is where the phrase “food is fuel” comes from. Fuel indicates food function: it drives the metabolic processes in our bodies - giving us energy, the ability to breathe, talk, think, walk, run, sit, etc. - this is of course an oversimplification but you get the point.
Does it stop at being simply fuel? No. It extends beyond that to a more complex role in each of our lives. Take a minute and answer of each of these questions -
Do you have a single memory in which involves food?
Do you have a favorite food? Why is it your favorite?
Eaten a special food at a holiday, celebration, or to meet up with friends?
Do you notice how different types feel in your body or how they affect your mood, emotions, or bowels?
Have you ever chosen to eat something or not eat something due to having a poor appetite or certain emotion?
Have you ever altered your intake to change your body? Potentially ignoring a physical hunger cue or craving?
There is no “right” or “wrong” answers to the questions above. Your answers are not indicative of whether food is more than fuel to you or not. Simply having an answer to each of these questions is an indicator that food is much more than fuel.
You may be celebrating this thought and feel relieved to hear that it is normal and ok for food to be more than it’s function OR you may be shaking your head thinking “no Jenna really, food is just fuel - I do not attach emotion, pleasure, or any of the stuff you mentioned above to it and I shouldn’t have to - that sounds like unnecessary work.” This latter thinking can sometimes be a direct result of diet culture - convincing you that food must be boring, tasteless, and lifeless to be “healthy” or “right.” Regardless of which of these truths currently resonates with you, I invite you to start exploring your response. Grab a pen and a paper (or the notes tab in your phone) and write down the first thoughts that come to mind from these prompts:
Write out a pleasurable or enjoyable eating memory you have experienced. What did you have, who were you with, when was it, and how did you feel?
Write out a painful or challenging eating memory you have experienced. What did you have, who was there, when was it, and how did you feel?
What was food accessibility like growing up - how is your access to food now?
Have you ever noticed changes in your cravings or appetite when you are experiencing certain emotions?
It is common to have preferences and cravings for specific foods based on certain memories (positive or negative) and for this to affect how you eat and what you choose to eat. As you explore what food means to you and the WHY - you don’t have to do it alone. I would love to walk alongside you as you discover food associations , where they come from, and learn more about your needs. Contact me below!