When we talk about food we are typically talking about the foods we consume to nourish our bodies and not the foods that nourish a healthy well-balanced life. The truth is there are 2 types of food: primary and secondary foods.
Primary foods
Primary foods are the foods that feed us beyond our plate. Relationships, careers, spirituality, hobbies and recreational activities are all foods that feed the soul. They sustain you, give purpose and bring passion into your life, and as a result have an impact on the state of your emotional and mental well being. It’s no coincidence that when you are leading a well balanced life food doesn’t seem to be on the radar. if anything we oftentimes forget to eat, or eat less. When Primary foods are “feeding” you — food, in the traditional sense, takes a back seat. Making it a “secondary food”, hence the term. A healthy balance of the primary foods we receive makes us less dependent on secondary foods; but the opposite is also true. The more secondary foods we consume the less room we make for the primary foods in our life. A healthy balance is key!
What’s Eating You.
As a certified holistic nutrition and eating psychology coach, I believe we are not fed solely by food but by the positive energy in our lives. Healthy relationships, support systems, fulfilling careers and passions provide explicit and very measurable benefits such as boosted immunity, lower stress levels, longer life times — and the list goes on.
If you are struggling with one of your primary foods for example, an unhealthy relationship, we recommend taking the time to address it and make the necessary positive changes in your life. The result of an imbalance could lead to overeating or not eating enough which may hinder you in being able to cope with your feelings or moods, further snowballing an already unhealthy diet. People often get trapped in a cycle of feeling hopeless about life and poor eating habits but you don’t have to — break the cycle! Jumping into a diet or drastically changing your eating habits can be counterproductive if you haven’t addressed the problem so do please reach out to your physician or a specialist for guidance.
If you find you’re leading a healthy lifestyle yet seem to be snacking daily or frequently have cravings, it may not mean you are out of balance. It may be as simple as switching out some of your go to’s with healthier alternatives that offer more nutritional value. Check out my blog “Curb your Cravings” so learn more about healthier alternatives and the benefits to those swaps. As you begin to achieve more and more balance in your life, food will become less and less of a concern. You will have gifted yourself the opportunity to enjoy the benefits balance brings.
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