Seriously, think about this. Do we expect too much from our food? We expect food to help us lose weight, to taste good, to make us happy, to comfort us, to lower our cholesterol, to help us live longer, to make us feel good, to make us lean, sexy, strong, to soothe us, and to indulge us when we’re feeling deprived. When really, at food’s most basic level and how the animals use it, is for fuel. Many of us have experiences and stories surrounding food and gain egos and emotions surrounding our foods that we love, but thinking on the most basic level, it is here for our survival. It’s in our culture to have relationships with food though and may start at a very young age. For example, parents rewarding children for being well-behaved, or scolding them when eating bad foods they’re not supposed to, but taste so good!
Here are some pitfalls that people may fall into with their food that may be hard to get out of:
- Eating to cope: This involves eating when lonely, stressed, when you need comfort, and pretty much any other need than physical hunger.
- Using food as a reward: This simply involves rewarding yourself when accomplishing a certain task. If your parents did this when you were younger, it’s likely you will carry this on to adulthood.
- Chronic dieting: This means having such rigid rules with dieting, that you stop eating, even if you’re still hungry. This is obsessive attention towards calorie counting and portion control.
- Mindless or binge eating: Mindless eating involves eating in the car, in front of a computer or television, and even in front of the refrigerator. Where binge eating involves “forbidden” foods and is excessive.
For more tips on how to maintain your relationships with food, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-turner/mindful-eating_b_1378171.html?ref=mindful-living&ir=Mindful%20Living&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
To read more!!
I could not agree more with you! I must admit that food is a big part of my life and I am sure everyone has experienced at least one of those relationships with food that is listed. Good job shedding light to the reality of what food has become to us in society.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those people that fall into the category of eating to cope. When I am bored, I am usually eating even if they are light snacks. It is a bad habit because it can escalate to more consumption of snacks throughout my day. Also, in my childhood, my parents would reward me with food such as ice cream if I had a tantrum moment. This relationship with food needs to end, and must divorce it immediately.
ReplyDeleteGuilty. I am definitely one of those emotional eaters. I find comfort in food in any occasion, when I'm bored, happy, sad, whenever. I think that most people in today's society have created a relationship with food that is somewhat unhealthy. I do think that everyone needs to have a relationship with food, but I agree that people are now expecting too much from it. I think that people need to realize that food is there to nourish us and not to have a serious, unhealthy relationship with.
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