What is your relationship with food?

I don’t necessarily consider myself a Foodie; however, I love to eat good food, especially anything with potatoes. I consider myself a connoisseur of potatoes, just as Bubba Blue’s character in Forrest Gump declares his affinity for shrimp and “shrimp being the fruit of the sea.” I can easily make a meal of potatoes - Hashbrowns, baked potatoes, french fries, au gratin, scalloped, raw fries (BTW, they aren’t actually raw, but thinly sliced potatoes and onions sautéed in olive oil. LOL!) In fact, growing up, my dad would lovingly call me “Spud” because of my love for potatoes.

Food has definitely brought me joy; however, at times, I’ve allowed it to control me. This was brought to my attention in an impactful way a few Sundays ago in church. Our pastor was speaking on sin and God’s grace. He talked about the bondservants of Christ in the Old Testament of the Bible (owned by Christ and completely at the disposal of their master, Jesus Christ). Our pastor then asked, “Who or what are we enslaved to?”  Right then I felt that God was showing me that food has been an idol for me. I’ve always known that I’ve had a somewhat unhealthy relationship with certain foods at different times in my life (I thought that I had control over it.), but I had never thought of it being an idol for me. 

Fast forward a few weeks later, God confirmed this message to me during our mid-week service. I knew right then that He was right and that I have been enslaved to certain foods that I’ve perceived to make me feel better. I immediately asked God forgiveness and afterwards, I felt an unexplainable peace and freedom. That evening, I was completely honest with my husband about these shortcomings and what God showed me. 

As I mentioned earlier, at times, I’ve struggled with eating too many potato chips or other salty alternatives, sweets or coffee - all with the intended purpose of “looking forward to something” or trying to make myself feel better. Depending on my mood or if I was going through something difficult, I may eat a little more than the recommended serving(s) amount (LOL!). Sometimes I’d wait for my husband to leave and chomp down on my snack or have my “special treat” in another room. So, why did I keep this from my husband? I was ashamed, but I also think that I convinced myself that it was under control. Did it make me feel better about myself, no! Did I look forward to it, yes; however, afterwards, I felt the impact of my poor choices. I would get to the point that I’d tell myself that “these chips or sweets don’t fill me” and then I’d tell myself that I wasn’t going to buy any more. I’d be good for a while, and I would try not to buy the processed snacks. Other times, I just didn’t miss it. In retrospect, for years, I’ve felt like a hamster trapped in a hamster wheel.

Almost ten days ago, I started an elimination diet called the Lion Diet (Healing Elimination Diet To Help Your Gut | The Lion Diet), for the sole purpose of eliminating inflammation and pain in my body. As you may recall from one of my earlier blogs, I’ve experienced a lot of health issues and subsequent pain for many years. I decided on this approach, as I have other friends that have undergone similar issues and have experienced great success (reduction of inflammation and pain) on this diet.

Another colleague/friend of mine in my industry and I were talking about being addicted to sugar and processed foods and she told me that “Once you’ve given into a craving, it doesn’t really help you; it just “satisfies the memory of the act.” How profound huh? 

Back to my relationship with food. As I began thinking and praying about when and how this behavior began, my mom popped into my mind. Although my mom passed away 14 years ago, I was reminded that she had similar challenges during her lifetime. Of course I’ve asked myself, “Could my bad eating habits be hereditary?” My curiosity got the best of me, so I did a little bit of research, and I found this article: Are Habits Hereditary? - Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research. It describes a study that “identified multiple genetic variants associated with habitual physical activity.” Although eating is not exactly physical activity, the study highlights the connection between genetics and habitual behaviors, which seems to indicate that some habits may be inherited. Of course, I am not blaming my actions on my genes or even what I observed my mom doing, I just thought that it was an interesting similarity.

Finally, for you foodies out there, don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying that there is something wrong with having an affinity for good food. However, I am encouraging anyone that thinks they may have unhealthy eating habits to be honest with yourselves, own up to it and seek help. 

My favorite food group!