Personal Relationship With Food

We often hear the phrases, “food is fuel” and “you are what you eat” whether it is coming from a doctor or peers and family. Although it may seem unbelievable, it is true, how we balance the amount and what type of foods we eat in our daily lives can benefit or adversely affect our bodies. So what makes people choose to eat in a certain manner and put specific foods in their bodies? Well, through examining my own relationship with food I have discovered that dietary restrictions, parents’ cultural and personal preferences associated with specific foods can cause a person to lean favorably towards or turn them off from consuming foods, thereby molding an eating pattern.

First and foremost, the number one aspect that has affected my food …show more content…
I have discovered that I have an aversion to certain foods because of the time it takes to make them, the texture of the food or the experiences I have associated with them. For example, I realized that I do not generally eat a lot of chicken or salmon although my family does and after giving it some thought I realized that I have to make my own separate meals and I am not willing to invest so much time in making food. So my protein generally comes from easy to make sources such as eggs and canned tuna and my carbs from instant rice and gluten free bread. Moreover, I recognized that I do not eat raisins or jello and I decided to eat them again being mindful of the experience this time around and what I found was outstanding. While chewing the raisin, I realized that I avoid food due to the memory that pops up of my younger self choking on a raisin every time I bite into a raisin. On the other hand, when it came to eating jello I realized that I really do not like jello or regular yogurt because of the texture. There is something about bouncy and slimy food that my tastebuds and mind detest so I do not enjoy eating such items. In conclusion, personal preferences do fuel a person’s relationship with …show more content…
From exploration of my eating habits I have realized that not only do dietary restriction from both religious and health standpoints affect my food choices, but so do my parents’ eating habits and my personal preferences affect what I put in my mouth. So yes food is fuel, but now I have learnt that I should stop and reflect what fuels the motivation to put specific items in my mouth versus