Introduction
Think for a moment of a food from your past, one that makes you feel great after you eat it for no specific reason. Maybe it is macaroni and cheese, slow-simmered tomato sauce, ice cream cones or potato pancakes. Eating comfort foods (every now and then) can be incredibly healing, even though your rational brain might not consider it highly nutritious.
Soul Food
Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can reconnect us to precious memories, like childhood playtimes, first dates, holidays, our grandmother’s cooking or our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember foods from the past on an emotional and cellular level. Eating this food connects us to our roots and has nurturing effects that go far beyond the food’s biochemical make-up.
Acknowledging what different foods mean to us is an important part of cultivating a good relationship with food. This month when we celebrate relationships, it’s important to notice that we each have a relationship with food—and that this relationship is often far from loving. Many of us restrict food, attempting to control our weight. We often abuse food, substituting it for emotional well-being. Others ignore food, swallowing it whole before we’ve even tasted it.
What would your life be like if you treated food and your body as you would treat your beloved. The next time you eat your soul food, do so with awareness and without guilt, and enjoy all the healing and nourishment it brings you. Here are a few tips to help you do that:
1. Pause Before Eating: Focus on “why” you want to eat, instead of “what” and “how much.” This approach, referred to as Mindful Eating, will give you awareness to your true food needs.
2. Eat Slowly: Think about the time and effort that the chef invested to prepare this meal that you’re about to enjoy – it will add more meaning to the meal. Eating slowly is also better for digestion and gives your body time to signal to your brain that you’re “full.”
3. Savour Each Bite: Don’t think about the calories you’re consuming or the extra 30-minutes on the treadmill tomorrow. Be in the moment. Enjoy the food with awareness and without guilt.