Food Talk!
Ladies and gents, it’s time for some food talk!
Food is not a moral dilemma. You are not a lesser person for enjoying a slice of cake or not eating your five serves of veggies, nor are you a better person because you only shop at the farmer’s market or don’t eat refined sugar. You are not ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for the food choices you make, and foods aren’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’ either.
It’s time to stop all the negative connotations, fears, restrictions, and shame we have around food (and to remove concepts like ‘guilty pleasure’...is it really pleasurable if it makes you feel guilty; and ‘cheat days’...what exactly are you cheating and why?). Instead, it’s time to start showing love and gratitude, to pause before we eat and consciously thank nature, our bodies, the food itself.
Food is about LOVE. It’s so lovingly provided to us by this earth, and we are so incredibly lucky to have access to it. The fact that we have food at all is so amazing and something to be grateful for, regardless of what that specific food is. Think about food throughout history and across cultures...it’s an expression of love...birthday and wedding cakes, cooking for a loved one when someone close to them passes away, food on alters. Let’s continue this tradition and express love every time we eat. Eat because you LOVE yourself, your body, your mind and your soul.
While we’re at it, let’s also shut out all the external noise and rules about food (especially the ones that say that this food is going to make you ‘fat’ and this one will make you ‘skinny’). Instead, listen within…really tune into yourself and ask how the food makes you feel, and use that as a guide instead. Do you feel like that curry? Then have it and enjoy it. Do you feel like that coffee on your way to work? Then drink it and enjoy it. Do you feel like that slice of cake at your cousin’s birthday that your auntie so lovingly prepared? Then eat it and enjoy it (and if you actually don’t want it, then don’t have it and don’t feel guilty for saying no).
Ever notice how you can be completely relaxed and eat something that might, for example, typically cause you stomach upset, and you’ll be completely fine...but eat something else when you’re stressed or angry and you’ll have a hard time digesting it? That’s no coincidence! The state that you’re in when you’re preparing food and eating it really does effect how it’ll impact you.
So, next time you go to put something in your mouth, no matter what it is (fruit or toast or a steak or milk or water or chocolate or whatever it is)...remove all judgment, be thankful and enjoy it.
Food is not the enemy. It’s not here to scare you, make you feel shame, make you anxious or worried or guilty. Food is your friend. It’s this incredible amazing thing that’s here to nourish your body, give you energy, sustain you, allow you to experience this pretty awesome thing we call life.
Food is SO amazing and it’s here to be enjoyed, so enjoy it!
