Rethinking Food

How we think about food is so distorted in so many ways. I'm not even talking distortion that reaches the level of eating disorders or food abuse -just everyday thinking about food. 

First, the concept of "good" food and "bad" food.  "Good" seems to be that which is in line with one's personal food plan.  "Bad" is that which falls outside of such a plan.  I'm not sure this is really helpful terminology.

Everyone has a different concept of what it means to eat "correctly" or "incorrectly."  The phrase "eating clean" is one I recently learned -but it by its nature implies there is "unclean" eating, and I know that they aren't speaking of kosher laws.

Then there are those who refuse to believe that food is anything other than fuel, and completely ignore the emotional aspects of eating.  Let's face it, we celebrate almost everything with special food, and this is a worldwide phenomenon and happens all the time in the Bible.  So that has to be how we are created to exist.  Food is not simply "just fuel."

Part of my homework in learning about food has been to write down what I eat.  I'm supposed to write down my emotions, too, but that is a hassle so I have to rededicate myself to that, as I dropped that off a few months ago.

I have tendencies to be very scrupulous, and that isn't helpful.  My food plan is about as flexible as you can get -it is a handful of guidelines to help me make choices that make me feel better -have more energy, be more stable emotionally, and not make myself crazy trying to be too specific about everything.  There is literally nothing I can't eat.

Still, I do find myself sometimes reverting to thinking in terms of "good" and "bad."  My dad used to refer to any sweets or calorically-dense food as "fat food."  ("Fat" of course, being a very negative thing to be avoided.)  So even when it is perfectly reasonable to be eating cake, for example, such as at a birthday party... there is still that twinge of guilt for eating something simply for the fact it is fun and tastes really good. I'm not blaming my dad, BTW, it was fairly common practice in days of yore and is still present today -we just use different words for it.

There are the logical consequences of food choices -feeling energized or feeling sluggish, weight gain or maintenance or loss, having the resources to challenge myself physically or not up to the challenge.  Then there are the illogical but still REAL consequences: feeling happy or sad or guilty or companionable or excluded or honored or ignored or safe or scared or a host of things.

I totally can share this... I used to hate eating in front of people I didn't know well.  Given that I eat out for business all the time, I made sure to chat a lot so others could eat and simply moved food around on my plate.  I am QUITE over that one... but I think so many of us have similar hang-ups and honesty does clear the air.  For example, I know people who have a completely stocked pantry at all times.  They don't actually EAT canned food, but it makes them feel safer -if they lose their job or all else breaks loose, they at least will have food.  More people than will admit it have control issues with food.  I have a friend who agonizes when she eats a bagel. Ugh.

I started being more aware of these ways of thinking a few years ago, especially as I encountered people who have really healthy relationships with food.  I wondered what it would be like to not be constantly analyzing every potential bite and assigning an emotion to it.

I think it must be quite freeing.