The meaning of food choices
Or: Why Ice Cream is Devine
(Photo Credit :: Wilson Fotografie)
When we ask ourselves the question, “What am I really hungry for?”, the reply we receive from our brains is rarely as simple as it seems. Our food choices are shaped by our culture, our taste buds, advertising dollars, our eating histories, our body and brain’s signals, and, perhaps, something even deeper. (By the way, Dorry, the adorable blogger at Living with Healthy Hunger, wrote a wonderful post on influential food factors that you should check out.)
I’m not talking here specifically about over-eating or binging, which of course may be triggered by issues like low self-esteem, feeling overwhelmed, or a myriad of other possibilities. Even for individuals that do not tend to struggle with eating too much or too little (though I believe that few of do not, at least at times), the foods that we choose to nourish and sustain us carry with them important meaning – symbolic meaning, even. And individuals who do tend to engage in binge eating or struggle with other eating issues, these choices often carry even more emotional weight.
Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine the food that sounds the most delicious and desirable right now.
Got the visual image of that food? Good. Now I want you to imagine the way that it feels to hold it your hand, the way that its aroma rises to your nose as you breathe in, the way that it feels as you place the first bite on your tongue. This is kind of like imaginary mindful eating, if you will.
I now want you to do your best to connect not solely with the physical sensations, but with the emotional ones ones as well – the ones that we experience, but often push to the wayside when it comes to eating. Consider:
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- What memories do I have of this particular food? Did I eat this food when I was a child? What associations from my childhood do I have of it?
- What feelings do the thought of the food invoke in me? Excitement? Passion? Fear? Anxiety? A sense of calm?
- What bodily sensations arise when I think about eating this food?
- What does this food represent to me? If one word was associated with this food, what would it be?
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The responses to these questions will be different for every person, but there are of course some common themes that often arise. As a more straightforward example, spicy food might represent in you a longing for excitement, a sense of adventure, or a fiery spirit trying to assert itself within the confines of a more structured life. Or maybe you just really like Spicy Thai at the place down the street and haven’t had it in a month – everything doesn’t have to have a deeper meaning after all.
But since my bias is that most things do (and most marketers should agree, since they translate these symbols into dollar signs), let’s take one more example. How about ice cream, since I have a strong affection for the stuff and it was also chosen as one of the top comfort foods in a study, particularly among women.
Stripping away the effects of sugar and carbohydrates on brain functioning, consider for a moment the symbolism in ice cream. To me, its richness and creaminess represent envelopment and safety. It offers a feeling of physical and emotional fullness. It speaks of warm summer days licking a dripping cone as my mom sunbathes. Or nights curled up on a blanket on the couch, safe and secure. Thus, it’s no wonder that when I may be feeling anxious or sad, my body and mind call for black raspberry chip.
If this whole “symbolic meaning of what I put in mouth” stuff is a little too woo-woo for you, hopefully you can at least appreciate that our moods and emotional well-being do play a factor in our food choices. There is a very real mood-food connection. For instance, Edward Gibson of Roehampton University discusses the fact that sweet, fatty foods can improve our moods by improving serotonin and dopamine functioning. However (there’s always a flippin’ catch when it comes to “good news” like this!), eating too much of these foods can result in an over-reliance on them and produce obesity.
So, what do you think? Let’s discuss.
What factors influence your food choices? What are some associations (words, sensations, memories) do you have with your favorite foods? What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
rebecca lustig
955 days ago
mindful eating is something I have to work so hard at every single day. often my mind is clouded by the ‘should’ thoughts– they take over the ‘wants’. but, i know that with practice and patience, i can achieve mindful eating too!
thanks for posting this.
and i love frozen yogurt more than anything! love a pb mixed with plain with tonssss of toppings!
rebecca lustig recently posted..taking a risk- My Food Journey
Teri [a foodie stays fit]
955 days ago
You know, I’d never really thought of my food choices in relation to my childhood, but my dad and I often ate ice cream together and it was something we shared that was fun since we both LOVED ice cream. Now, it’s my food of choice when I’m craving comfort, but I never really made the connection until now! Great post – thanks.
Jayna @ Healthy Living Bites
955 days ago
So I know the point of this post isn’t REALLY about ice cream, but it is the most meaningful food out there for me too. Ice cream to me is my Grandma Jane. She was absolutely famous among those who knew her for saying “there’s always room for ice cream”. Dinner with her was not “did you save any room for desert” but rather “what flavor would you like”. She ALWAYS had Breyer’s vanilla bean ice cream and usually had butter pecan on hand as well. Other then that it was whatever looked good last time she went to the grocery store. Our family has a vacation home in Lakeside, OH and one of the big things to do there is to walk “downtown” and get ice cream, so ice cream also brings back the memories of spending a week with Grandma at “the lake”. She passed this past February, after a very long and happy life (I hope I am half as lucky), and over the summer we honored her with an ice cream social at Lakeside. It was the perfect way to remember her!
Oh yeah, and my favorite flavor- butter pecan (just like Grandma). Though I have been really digging my frozen yogurt with a little honey on it- the honey sort of freezes and gets really chewy!
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
954 days ago
That sounds amazing. I’ll have to try the honey thing!
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self
955 days ago
Very interesting post, Ashley! I definitely think our food choices have an emotional component; it’s just further proof that our bodies and minds are integrally connected. Many of my favorite foods are ones associated with a memory, a person or a place. And like you said, the texture of the food itself often has a metaphorical meaning.
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self recently posted..Dear Laziness
Margarita Tartakovsky
955 days ago
Fantastic post, Ashley! I love asking all those questions to get at the deeper meanings that food has for us (not always, but oftentimes). And your example of associating ice cream with safety and comfort is so familiar to me. For me, there are many foods that evoke past memories. For instance, when I eat certain Russian foods, memories just flood into my mind. Some foods remind me of my grandma (like potatoes made on the skillet with mushrooms) or of my dad (shrimp with spaghetti). It’s really neat to think about!
Margarita Tartakovsky recently posted..Body Image Booster- Remember the Body Positive Days
Dorry
955 days ago
Thank you for the sweet reference my dear! We were obviously thinking of each other this morning. :) I have to say, my eating habits and food choices have changed so much since I was a child. The main factors that influence my food choices these days are salty or sweet cravings + what my body will easily digest. I’m way too affected if I feel sick to my stomach – it changes me from a happy, energetic Dorry to a whiny brat…so I avoid foods that cause discomfort. My favorite foods now are those that I’ve experimented with over the years – I love the foods I choose to eat so they all feel like comfort food at this point. Growing up – mint chocolate chip was my favorite ice cream flavor. I make a lot of banana soft-serve with various toppings these days. :)
Dorry recently posted..Blogging While Traveling
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
954 days ago
Ahh… bananas, that’s right! ;-)
Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca)
954 days ago
I make food choices based on SO many things including health, taste, nostalgia, and the desire to try something new and different.
Gina
954 days ago
I’ve realized this a lot lately with my food. I eat ice cream and pasta because it brings me back to my childhood. (now vegan) hamburgers because it reminds me of summer cookouts. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing to be honest! A few more pounds for some good memories?
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
954 days ago
I don’t think of it as necessarily good or bad, unless you find it becoming a problem for you (i.e. limiting what you eat or eating until you feel uncomfortable).
Steph-the Fit Mom in Training
954 days ago
I definitely think that what fuels our eating (especially among women) is the emotions attached to our food. Mine was always hot chocolate because it reminds me of our cold winters and how good it would taste after being outside. My mum used to also make it on Christmas Eve right before we’d go to bed so I have many fond memories associated with this winter staple.
Steph-the Fit Mom in Training recently posted..Mamavation Monday- October 11- 2010
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
954 days ago
That sounds so sweet!
Tatianna
954 days ago
I think about stuff like this a lot, although I don’t think I ever considered more than the physical. I’ve been recovering from an eating disorder for awhile now, and at times I find it extremely difficult to figure out what I want to eat when I am hungry. After over-analyzing everything for so long, I find it difficult to look past the ‘do I need more carbs, proteins or fats today?’ mentality when I am making food choices. This leads to me thinking too much, and often going against the emotional connections influences. For example, if I want ice cream because I want that comfort of feeling secure like you were talking about, I have a hard time justifying that to myself…. but if I want ice cream because I want a sweet treat and I know my body is in need of the sugars, I have no problem going for it.
This was a great post! Thank you :)
Tatianna recently posted..Gobble Gobble
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
954 days ago
It’s great that you are able to identify what your body needs based on cravings and honor that! It’s important to remember that comfort is okay too though. Thanks for sharing!
Angela
953 days ago
wow, great post! i definitely could work on mindful eating, all too often i find myself in front of the computer or television and not giving attention to the food it deserves.
my favourite has to be dark chocolate, but it’s funny, i never ate the stuff as a child. sometime in my teen years i realized that chocolate was awesome and now, a meal doesn’t feel complete unless i have a sweet treat at the end. (habit, i guess.) i guess i feel excited and comfort, all at the same time (serotonin much?)
Betsy
953 days ago
Boy Ashley am I excited to have discovered your blog! (Thanks to you commenting on seattlerunnergirl’s blog.)
I think I need to reread this post like, DAILY, to remind myself to be MINDFUL of why I’m making certain food choices. I am so easily swayed by my emotions when it comes to food choices but I’m trying not to let y emotions make those decisions for me as frequently as I have done in the past. So what factors influence my food choices? Yeah, mostly it’s my emotions UNLESS I’ve been a well-organized gal and planned my breakfast and dinner and packed my lunch. When I plan ahead I am much less apt to be swayed by rash decisions based on my emotional needs.
I associate comfort, warmth and safety with my faves (pizza, ice cream and peanut butter on toast).
Hmmm. Favorite ice cream flavor would have to be chocolate peanut butter but that black raspberry chip is in a close second!
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
952 days ago
Glad that you stopped by Betsy! And I’m looking forward to reading more from your on SRG!
mac
953 days ago
Ashley, for me it’s all about stress and sleep. When I’m sleeping enough, my house is clean, my laundry is done, my kids and wife are happy, then it’s EASY for me to make awesome food choices. But the moment those things unravel, so does my diet (diet meaning the foods I eat, not in the weight loss sense of the word). Tonight, for example, I talked my wife into pizza instead of the salmon, cous cous, and snap peas that I had been planning. No bueno!
mac recently posted..2 Bad Habits That May Be Hindering Your Weight Loss
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
952 days ago
Stress and sleep are so vital! Thanks for pointing that out.
Dana
952 days ago
Why have I not found your blog sooner?! What a gem!!
Dana xo
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul
952 days ago
Glad you found it now! Thanks!
Brandon
952 days ago
It’s amazing how much emotion has on eating – what we eat, why we eat, etc. Two of the most important things I’ve done since starting my own weight loss journey have to do directly with this. First, if I think I’m feeling hungry at a time other than regular meal time, I stop and ask myself “am I really hungry, or is it something else? Boredom? Stress?” Second, if I feel a binge coming on, where I just really want to stuff my face with whatever I can find, preferably chocolate, I force myself to wait 15 minutes. In those 15 minutes, I really think about why this urge is there, what’s causing me to want to binge. More often than not, after the 15 minutes have passed, so has the urge.
Brandon recently posted..Taking a Look Back on 30 Days of Primal Living
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