ARTICLE
Do you Live to Eat or Eat to Live? What is the Difference? Having a balanced and pleasurable relationship with food is a challenge for most people. It’s a challenge many people have come to believe it’s “just how it is” when it comes to food but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. So many of us have an extreme relationship with food, our expectations and behaviors bounce between two ends of the eating spectrum. On one end of the spectrum some people “Eat to Live”; the regimented, strict adherence to only eating healthy not really caring whether or not the food brings pleasure or satisfaction outside of its nutritional composition. On the other end of the spectrum some people “Live to Eat.” In this category I categorize clients who tend to be emotional eaters, or who also have one or more of these excuses: “I don’t have time/energy/budget to eat what will feel best or do good for my body, so I just reach for what my compulsion wants and or my time/budget allows. The majority of us fall somewhere in between the two extremes, but regardless of where you are on the spectrum, the “diet” culture we’ve gotten so used to creates a mindset, often unconsciously, our appetite is something to control and manage instead of regarding it as our wise inner guidance. Food then becomes the enemy, something we believe we should always be doing better and are very often feeling guilty about this most basic, innate desire for pleasure and satisfaction with food. We have come to believe food really only serves to provide nutrients to our physical body, but a truly balanced, nourishing and pleasurable relationship with food satiates us on many levels. Eating has a foundation based in three core areas: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual When we’ve changed our mindset around food and eating to one that mirrors these three areas, we create a new relationship with food. Eating healthy then surpasses the mindset of counting calories and rises above the impulsive nature of emotional eating. Eating healthy engages all of our senses and leaves us feeling satisfied, nourished and having the simple, easy contentment and pleasure food is meant to bring.