Eat to Live, Never Live to Eat

Food is big business in our society. But there are some things I have to keep reminding myself about food… 1) Something had to die so that I would live. With all the disconnect between people and their food – there are kids growing up today who actually believe that food comes from a store as if it materialized there. Food does not come from a store any more than a baby comes from a hospital. Food just stops off in transit. Understanding the origins of my food helps me to appreciate it and use it to good effect. 2) It takes a great deal of energy to make food, transport it, package it and generally make it look like it didn’t come out of the ground or off the side of a cow/pig/hen… 3) Food is meant to make me strong and healthy. It does not have the natural ability to take away heart ache, sooth a guilty conscience, repair lax morals, make a person sexy, elevate our IQ or about 99% of the things advertisers would have me believe. 4) Bad food choices don’t care about my needs. They just make me feel lousy, increase my chances of getting diabetes and other health problems, and often times make me look as bad as I feel. 5) Food cannot control me. If it is – then I am out of control. The problem begins and ends with me. Blaming food temptations is a form of giving up and victimization. I can’t heal from a heart ache, deal with a guilty conscience, repair painful childhood wounds, make myself smarter, or do anything productive with my life if I am stuck blaming an inanimate food product. 6) Respecting food, like respecting any part of my environment, is very good for me. When I respect things, I use them according to their best nature. There are fun foods that are simply meant to make me feel good – birthday cake, ice cream on a hot day, celebratory drink – but in each case – I must recognize the limits of the food product. Healthy limits is a key to healthy living – physically, mentally, and spiritually. 7) Food cannot replace love or life. Eat to live, never live to eat.