Food For Thought

Food is somethings that all living organisms cannot live without. Food provides us with the necessary nutrition for our bodies to have vital functions, regular metabolic pathways and growth. Prolonged period of starvation will eventually lead to death.

Wild animals hunt for food, for themselves and sometimes for their families. They eat what they can get. Many fortunate human beings do not have to worry about where to find their next meal. Without trouble looking for the availability of food, we use the extra energy to perfect the taste of food, so a meal becomes something to enjoy.

In many cultures, people use food to express their care and love for others. “Have you had lunch yet?” Or, “Is there enough food to eat?” Or, better, yet, “Please have more” as you are handed a fully piled plate of various food items.

Food is a means for families and friends to bond, as seen in many TV shows and movies, especially in the Chinese and Korean drama series. We use our best effort to cook for someone we deeply care about. We invite our friends over to have dinner. We make some of the deepest and most meaningful connections over dinner.

As we take advantage of what food can bring us outside of our physical nutrition to enrich our lives and our relationships, many of us “abuse” food. Some of us eat after we have a heated argument with our family. Some of us eat out of boredom or the need to always do something. Some of us eat because we feel stressed about certain things, believing that food will make us feel better.

Does food have all these powers? To give us the absolute necessity, the ultimate desire of human kind with love and abundance, and to rid us of our frustration, stress, loneliness, anger and whatever negative emotions we have?

If food, or even just any particular food item, could do all of the above, then the world would probably have no more negative emotions for us to fret about. We know all too well that reality is not quite this way.  While we can amplify our love, compassion and abundance through food, we cannot eat our way out of sorrow, outrage, distress, restlessness or other negative emotions.

For the positive emotions, food is a means to enhance our experiences, such as quality time with people, serving, and showing gratitude. We are not relying on the food to grant us those positive emotions, because we are already experiencing them.

In situations dealing with negative emotions, oftentimes we are desperate to feel better, as soon as possible. What happens next is we become reliant on the food to make us feel better, believing whatever food we choose to eat at that time will give us happiness, stop the grief, end the hardship, or other unpleasant feelings. While you are eating, you may temporarily be relieved of those unwanted emotions; however, soon after eating, the sense of suffering, tension and all the other negative feelings you were experiencing before will all return, and probably return with an additional guilt. Feeling the guilt of eating when you should not have eaten.

“Abusing” food is relying food as the external means to make us feel better. Have the awareness when we are tempted to do this, and realize that we can truly feel better and experience positive emotions only if we find it within ourselves. Think twice before you decide to eat out of boredom, anger or frustration.

Food is vital to our living. Let us use it wisely so we can enjoy life and avoid using food against our well-being.