Why Is It Important to Have a Healthy Relationship with Food?  

Food is essential for all living things, including you and me. The definition of food is “material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy (Merriam-Webster, 2021). Did you get that? Growth, repair, vital processes, and energy all come from food!  

Let’s pretend that we are flowers. I know, weird analogy, but just pretend with me for a minute. You can be any type of flower that you want. Red, yellow, blue, purple, big, small, tall, or short, it doesn’t matter, you are a unique and beautiful flower.  

Now that you can imagine yourself as that flower, what do you need to survive? Better yet, what things do you need to thrive? You probably said soil, water, and sunlight because you know that these three things are the main food and energy sources for flowers.  

If you get too much water, too much sunlight, or too much of the wrong type of soil, you will die. On the other hand, if you don’t get enough water, enough sunlight, or enough of the right type of soil, you will also die. You might not require the same things as a different flower. For example, a cactus could not live in a cold environment that receives a lot of water, and a water lily could not survive in the desert. 

See, flowers know exactly what they need in order to thrive. As humans, our bodies also know exactly what we need to thrive. However, our human minds and experiences can cause us to get confused between our wants and needs when it comes to food, therefore causing an unhealthy relationship with food.  

Having a healthy relationship with food means that we listen to what our bodies need and how much it needs.  

Just like flowers, this looks different for every body. It might mean eating more food or eating less food more often. Your body could also tell you that you eat too much of the wrong type of food. For example, your body would not be very happy if you ate cookies for every meal for a week straight, just like the cactus who received too much water would not be very happy.  

Our bodies are always speaking to us, but we do not always listen. Learning to listen to what your body is telling you can help you create a healthy, lasting, and enjoyable relationship with food. Food is not an enemy in your life, it is essential. It helps your body grow, repair, function, and energize.  

Follow this blog and my other social media platforms below to learn more about how you can repair and flourish your relationship with food, I would love to help you on your journey!