Food as soul care

Food is no longer just a means of conviviality and sharing. Sharing a meal, gathering around a table, for example, is now a common practice in business meetings or confidential gatherings. Food unites us, and communication is the connection. But that's not all. Our relationship with food is linked from birth to the emotional experiences of our first significant relationships: from breastfeeding to weaning and all the emotional experiences that shape these experiences. Meals are an important point of reference, they mark the rhythms of our day, and if we think about it, every important event in our lives seems to be accompanied by banquets of food through which we share and celebrate ourselves.
Food is life and, undoubtedly, it nourishes us and gives us pleasure. We've been talking about food since ancient times. Because it satisfies us, relaxes us, distracts us, consoles us, and fills our voids; it brings us closer to people and memories. Its emotional, social, and psychological power represents for many the preferred substitute for unmet needs. Open the refrigerator for comfort, and it's the easiest way to combat anxiety, frustration, stress, and tension. After all, from an early age, we're accustomed to receiving food as compensation or a reward. Or are we? The history of philosophy is full of reflections on food, drink, objects, and cooking. When we're born, we learn about the world primarily through our mouths; physical contact, cuddles, and the gratification a child receives while being fed develops an association between love, nourishment, and eating. If growth proceeds normally, the child's experiences
As a child, they expand to become part of a wide range of rewarding sensory activities. If, on the other hand, the environment is less favorable, the child may grow up unable to develop other sources of gratification and, as an adult, is more likely to approach food as if it were the primary or sole source of emotional support. In fact, none of us "eats" only inert substances, but also symbols, traditions, and habits related to food.
and deeply rooted in emotional, social, and collective relationships. Therefore, they relate to our memories. The saying "we are what we eat" or "tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are" is a simplification of all this. Eating, as is well known, is a necessity, and as such involves many aspects of our lives. Food, and the taste that comes from it, arouses thoughts and emotions in us, be they positive or negative: when, speaking of a given prepared "dish," we define it as "good" or "bad," and we do so, primarily because of the quality of the ingredients and the preparation, but also because of the neurological connections generated between that taste and our feelings, and our completely unconscious memories. The emotions aroused by that particular dish, in that particular place, with the particular people around it. The close connection between food and emotions is certainly a holistic vision of the human being, and this is what I will discuss. Humans, in this case, are seen not only as consumers, clients, or diners, but as individual "experience-dependents," a term that well illustrates the importance of the relationship between food, mind, and body. Essentially, we are made a bit like an onion, just to stay on the subject of food. One of these layers, certainly the most important because it's what makes us choose things or decide on actions, is represented by our emotions. Emotions, or "e-motion energy in motion," have a significant impact on our thoughts, behaviors, and actions, but also on our "body system.".
What is the relationship between food and emotions? Food, as mentioned, has an essential biological function for the body. From food, we get what we need to sustain ourselves: sugars, proteins, and even the much-demonized fats, which represent not only a source of energy but also the building blocks for the growth and repair of our tissues. Eating is one of the oldest human actions; we can certainly say that the need arises with us. Think, as mentioned, of a newborn: what is its first instinct other than sucking, that is, latching onto its mother's breast? The relationship between food and emotions, therefore, exists and is
It forms in the very early stages of life and remains throughout one's existence.
Eating, however, isn't just about satisfying a physiological need; it's also—and increasingly so today—an opportunity for encounter, communication, and a response to the need for care, exchange, and affection. How much lies behind a plate of food! Sometimes, however, the delicate balance between food and emotions is disrupted, and the desire to eat arises as a response to an emotional need that would otherwise require a different type of nourishment. Emotional, in fact. In these cases, the person eats even when the body doesn't need it. There are, in fact, two types of hunger: bodily hunger, which is triggered when the body needs food;
nutritional and emotional, which is experienced in the presence of anger, boredom, stress, loneliness, tension, fatigue, anxiety, or depression. In these cases, food is mistaken for a "drug" with which to calm unpleasant emotions, obtain denied gratification in the emotional or work environment,
Coping with disappointment or grief, processing an emotional void. And it's very dangerous. Eating, however, is also one of the simplest solutions for achieving positive emotions: easily accessible and always available, but it's true that this incorrect approach to food can lead to eating disorders. Mood certainly benefits from food. Who hasn't experienced the feeling of joy after a meal?
A hearty meal, or an intriguing emotion after tasting a spicy spice? It directly stimulates hormones related to sexuality. Mood swings triggered by food are an experience that more or less everyone experiences. How irritable we are when we're hungry, while after a satisfying meal we become calmer and often even sleepy! Remember, in fact, that each food not only provides nourishment and energy, but also influences mood-related neurotransmitters and affects our senses, particularly smell, taste, and sight. Studies on the sensory, physiological, and psychological mechanisms used by Gibson emphasize that "eating influences mood and emotional disposition toward the world, reduces irritability, and increases calmness and positive feelings." This depends on how closely the meal resembles the eater's habits in size and composition. Meals that are too small or unhealthy, for example, can negatively impact mood. Sweet foods, which cause high peaks in energy density, and foods with a fatty consistency, can improve mood and reduce the effects of stress. Indeed, food intake activates the neural substrates that stimulate the opioidergic systems linked to pain perception, and the dopaminergic systems, linked to hedonic evaluation, learning, and memory. Food choices are culturally dependent, and therefore geographically and regionally dependent, but above all, they are tied to the emotional sphere. We buy what makes us feel good, what excites us, what gratifies us. Sometimes we buy by induction, guided by a scent or a color, or even a certain piece of music.

Food and emotions

Food, as we know, occupies a large place in the emotional process, not only because it has always been an element of conviviality and sharing, but also, I dare say, from the perspective of healing the soul. It's now well established that sharing a meal around a table is a common practice in business meetings or more intimate and confidential encounters. The association between communication and the body is closely linked to the emotions it generates. It varies, as is right, for each of us. We are not all the same, and we have very different characteristics; even if we manage to find common tastes, we don't always have the same "feelings.".

Flavors associated with memories