Food is Fuel - But Food is So Much More
Earlier this year I had a conversation with a runner who was working on increasing trust in her body, which included doing a deep dive into better understanding hunger and fullness signals. She shared with me that in her culture, she was conditioned to stop eating when she was “70% full” - but that she was getting tired of feeling deprived all the time.
This athlete was raised to view food as fuel; eating to (or - GASP! - past) fullness was seen as a waste and she regularly experienced feelings of shame and guilt for eating past this point.
If you’re reading along and nodding your head, you’re definitely not alone. Somewhere along the line, many cultures adopted this view that eating had to meet a physical need - and doing anything but that was something to be ashamed of.
Yes, food is fuel.
But food can be SO many other things.
And with the holidays coming up - AKA peak “food everywhere” season - it felt like the right moment to zoom out and remember the full spectrum of reasons we eat - and why every single one is a legitimate part of being human.
The Totally Valid Reasons Food Matters Beyond Fuel
Celebration: Holidays, promotions, birthdays… no matter the occasion, there always seems to be a table, a plate, or a drink at the center of it. Food has a way of showing up whenever life gives us something to cheer for.
Cultural tradition: When my client mentioned the 70%-full expectation, I asked her what else food meant in her culture. She lit up, immediately describing the dishes that remind her of home. Food is one of the clearest ways we pass down culture, right alongside music, language, and art.
Connection: From Central Perk to Cheers to MacLaren’s, sitcoms know that food-centric spaces bring people together. Food gives us a place to gather. It softens the edges of social interaction. Think about your own life: how many of your most meaningful interactions happened over a meal
Comfort: If you’ve ever gotten home from a long day of work, cooked a pot of boxed mac n cheese, and curled up on the couch to eat it, you know what I’m talking about. I have a lot of thoughts on emotional eating but the tl;dr is simply: sometimes, food is the best way to manage a strong emotion.
Enjoyment: “Because it tastes amazing” is a totally legit reason to eat. Pleasure isn’t indulgent - it’s actually good for you. Research shows experiencing pleasure more often can lower stress, improve your mood, help you sleep, and even support your physical health. It turns out that stressing over what you’re eating (or what you’re not “supposed” to be eating) is a LOT worse for you than just… eating what you enjoy.
If food was just fuel, think about how much you’d miss out on. As you head into the holiday season, I’m curious: which of these resonates in your own life? If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message here!
