The title of this article should already hint to the readers that it is about food and why in the certain periods of our life we want something special. Here I will try to answer the question: what emotion or state is associated with a particular food in the certain moments of our life? What I am certainly not going to write in this article is about the period of pregnancy, because it is a special state of woman, in which the desire of her yet unborn baby can prevail, who is still inside the mother, however has already showed his or her desires. My article is just an attempt to encourage readers to analysis and research of themselves, and is not absolute dogma or axiom.
I will apply a bit (quite a bit) to classical medicine to describe the connection between emotions and quality of food, but I will not go deep, because now there is quite a lot of information about this subject in the Internet. If you want to learn more, feel free to find it! Therefore, at the moment when a specific emotion arise, a particular hormone is produced in human body, and in order to reduce its level, person subconsciously is looking for the ways to deal with it, including food. Moreover, the opposite effect is possible: some food promotes production of specific hormone to stimulate a certain emotional state. The traditional Indian medicine Ayurveda, which is one of the varieties of alternative medicine, also confirms this.
For example, when person wants meat or other solid food, which requires their jaws work hard to chew, it points on pent-up aggression, wrath or anger, and also it could be a feeling of self-affirmation, achievement of a goal or desire to defend himself, for which a powerful emotional and physical charge is needed. Such people are stubborn and assertive. Metaphors for this state could be: «to cut the throat», «to show fangs», «savage grin», «chew and spit out», «increase meat on bones», «show who is a boss here», «take height». Look at athletes-weightlifters when they «take» a new weight – they grip jaws and growl. Such food is necessary for organism in the period of overcoming difficulties in life or of great intelligent load.
Sunflower seeds, chips, waffles, pickles and other food that «rustles» or crunches – all these are fear eating. There are many horrors in the silent harbor. Do you notice how baby-rattles in some magical way can calm kids with their sound? It is the same: if something softly is ringing, clanking or rustling near you, it seems like «I am not alone here, someone is nearby, there is life around me and it calms me down».
Sweets, buns and something sugary-sweet point on desperate desire to orally satisfy the need for a love, joy, positive emotions, acceptance and care, to reduce the level of anxiety. For babies such food is mother’s milk; if it presents, then «mother is near, she loves me, accepts me and cares for me». When mother is nearby, it is always a key to a good mood for little children. «Sweet life» without worries and hassle…
The sour taste is a taste of envy and jealousy, resentment and pessimism. «Why are you so gloomy?», «keep your chin up», «cheer up» these people often hear these words, because they have lost thirst for their life, they are sad, envious and jealous of «others’ happiness».
The bitter taste is associated with dissatisfaction, disappointment and bitterness from the contradiction of internal to external. «Due to all this, it becomes even bitter»… It helps to experience stress and enhances the desire for change, adds the strength to move forward.
Astringent and tart taste of the food immerses a person into the self-analysis, as if he or she needs a pause in the life to turn to internal «self», to reflect.
Rude and greedy people prefer fat and fried food.
Fussy and tense persons like salty food, as if everything is «insipidly and tastelessly» for them, and they are looking for reinforcing their taste of life, interest to it and searching of themselves».
Spicy and savory are tastes of drive and activeness, they can point on lack of emotions and impressions in the relationships with others, thirst for excitement and extreme. Punchy people prefer it. Synonyms of these tastes in speech could be «acuteness of life and relationships», «acute situation», «hot guy» or «spicy girl», «fire-woman», «passionate relationships».
Still there is such a peculiarity, when person eats something and doesn’t notice taste of food, its quality, and doesn’t feel the measure in the eaten food – all these are signs of humiliation, shame, guilt and resentment. These feelings are rather strong, and everyone wants to run away from them, to switch and move on it quickly. For these reasons person makes usual and simple action – eating, due to what he escapes from the power of these emotions.
«Eating» to fight stress and as a way of coping with emotions is acceptable of course, but in moderate way. If you understand this and can find the essence of this mechanism in your life, you will be able to express your emotions in another ways. Then you will enjoy food consciously and fully, using it as a way to fill up your life force, get a charge of energy, enjoy taste and quality of your food and farther follow your way of life. After all, we eat to live, but we do not live to eat. Read, learn, explore!!!
Love yourselves and your body and be healthy!
With respect and love,
Author Marta Smelova
Translator Maria Marusenko
Under supervision of Iuliia Shender
Original text Мы есть то, что мы едим!
