Underrated Ways Food Nourishes Us; A Holistic Approach to 'Food is Fuel'

I used to think food had to be seen as fuel in order to keep me from “over”-eating or indulging beyond what was “acceptable”


I thought if I subscribed to this belief that, then I would be safer & more “in control”


But it wasn’t until I allowed myself to experience food in my desired way that I got so much more “fuel” out of it


How can food be fuel for me if the things I need fueled go well beyond my physical function & health?


Those are important drivers in my decisions but I also felt I was giving up so much of what food brought me from a connection, enjoyment, & longevity stand point


I gave up celebrating because the food I deemed as “fuel” wasn’t usually associated with celebration


I’d hang by the veggie tray to ward off desires when everyone was grabbing their cake or cookies and then trying to convince myself I was “better” for it when in reality it made me worse because it meant going home to binge in private later or judging people I loved because I had wounds to heal


The cake would’ve been much healthier than the ego trip, veggie numbing, & binge behavior


Yet, so often we think the cure to this is to see “food as fuel” but I can’t stress that if that definition is full of limiting, restrictive, or even societal driven or fear based beliefs then it won’t help you long-term


A client of my Food Relationship Program reached out to me yesterday with a huge win!


She realized that when she was present with the food she ate, & experiencing every aspect of it, (like the interaction with senses), she was more satisfied than just eating to eat for fuel or trying to volume eat to stay full & hopefully not eat more


What we think about food has just as big an impact on our health as the food itself


It can bring us a feeling of connection to our community, culture, celebrations, other people


It can give us the opportunity to develop strong communication patterns between brain & body so we can truly feed ourselves what’s best for us, not just what’s in a plan or promoted by others


It can be an experience that goes beyond “fuel” for the body


What other ways does food nourish you? How might you see food differently w/ a holistic lens?
💆🏻‍♀️🧠💜

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