What is really behind our foods choices?
Have you ever wondered why can we eat a whole bag of cookies when we are bored or forget to eat when we are involved in an exciting and creative project? What is really behind our hunger?
Is it only physical? What are the emotional or life components of our eating habits?
In this series, I will be expanding on the idea that our food choices and cravings reflect our hunger for a great and satisfying life. I will explore the differences between ordinary food and what can be called primary food.
According to Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, primary food is more than what we put on our plate. It describes four areas of our lives that nurture our being and without health or balance in these areas we are challenged and not living our true healthy selves. Healthy relationships, regular physical activity, a fulfilling career and a spiritual practice fill our essence and give us that feeling of excitement for real living.
When these "foods" are balanced, we tend to be proactive in educating ourselves towards a healthier lifestyle. We are more aware of what works well for us in all aspects of our lives and what doesn’t.
Sometimes we are fed not by food but by the energy in our lives. These moments and feelings demonstrate that everything can be thought of as food. We have many experiences that can fulfill us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We hunger for play, fun, love, kindness, achievement, success, art, music, self-expression, leadership, excitement, adventure and spirituality. All of these elements are essential forms of nourishment.
What we eat is secondary to what is going on in our lives and it is when we use secondary food, that illusive bag of cookies, as a way to alleviate or suppress our hunger for primary food, the body and real self suffer.
Nili Abrahams, CHHC, M.B.A. is a Certified Holistic Health Coac. Her website is www.chooselifenutrition.com