Eating For What Nourishes

Many people eat for energy. I eat for the nourishment food gives.

When I wake up in the morning, my mind and body are ready to be active, without food or caffeine. I have a lot of energy and awake means I’m ready to go. So energy has never been the reason I eat.

What is the signal for me to eat?  My mind is. The brain, the physical mass inside my head, lets me know when it wants food. Sometimes my thoughts become more distractible. Sometimes there’s a pressure inside my head. That’s one way I’ve learned to recognize my body asking for nourishment, and often for protein.

I used to not understand my mind asking for food. And with the energy I have, I could keep going without eating. But pushing through caused problems, mentally and physically. I had to and got to learn how to eat so my body could be at its greater capability.

Now I eat enough to nourish but not stuff myself. When my body is too full and heavy, I feel uncomfortable, lethargic, and slow to move. So I eat until something in me says, “I’m good, I don’t need more.” If there’s food left on my plate, it becomes leftovers. I eat enough nourishment to go back to what I was doing, or on to something new, without the food holding me back.

I don’t eat because it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner time. I don’t eat because it’s an event, a holiday, or because eating is the plan when people get together. I eat to nourish my body because the body needs food to function — and to let me experience this life with openness to everything that comes.

Food used to be tied to my identity. Now, eating is about giving my cells, my organs, my blood, everything inside me, what it can use to nourish itself and work well.

Welcome to the meal.

Stacy 🌺

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I share my experiences and my perspective. Eating and healing look different for everyone. If you are struggling with food or your relationship with your body, please find support. You don’t have to do this alone.