School assignment turned into blog post?

I recently was asked to write a reflection in my nutrition class using some quotes from my text book in regards to my own relationship to food. Although this was for school, it was really a prompt that made me stop and think for a bit. I really liked the way it came out, and am proud of it. So I figured I would post it here:).

My relationship with food has had many twists and turns. When given multiple quotes to choose from, the quote most relevant to me was “your body is not a temple. It is an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” by Anthony Bourdain. Just like a roller coaster, I have felt upside down in my own body. I have experienced the rush you may get from the high speed of a roller coaster, as well as the pit in your stomach sitting on the top of the incline. Growing up in a world where food is deemed good or bad, I have surely been on a roller coaster. 

First, one quote the stood out to me was, “some people take this to mean that they must never indulge in a delicious hot - fudge sundae or a hot dog with relish, but they are misinformed: moderation, not total abstinence is key” (pg. 11). By simply avoiding foods, we are conditioned to limit variety, and thus creating a stressful experience with food. This overwhelming feeling people get from food, can make them feel as though they are in some ways out of control. Just like how you may feel at an amusement park. 

Furthermore, the next quote that caught my attention was, “‘One young woman posed this question: ‘Do you mean that some bureaucrat says that I need exactly the same amount of vitamin D as everyone else? Do we really think that ‘one size fits all’?’ In fact the opposite is true” (pg. 34). As a society, we are led to believe everyone has the same needs. This means the same amount of vitamins, minerals, as well as calories. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The more time we spend comparing plates, the less time we spend with each other. In some ways, my body feels the same way at the dinner table as it does at an amusement park - overwhelmed. 

In conclusion, I believe the only way you can begin to “enjoy the ride”, is by simply experiencing and understanding food as it is. For me, this means never excluding foods from my diet because I deem them bad, or comparing my plate to others. Because that is where the roller coaster flips upside down.