Why eating should be more like dating

In the Arab world, when people are about to go on a date with someone new, they very often turn into professional detectives. They set out to find out all they possibly can about their potential partners: who they are, where they come from, whether they can make them happy and whether they’d be a good fit for them. And their decisions are usually heavily influenced by the answers to these questions.

While some would find this approach debatable when it comes to dating, it’s actually a very good one when it comes to eating. Indeed, the act of putting food inside our bodies is equally intimate and important as choosing a partner. That’s why you should consider asking yourself the following questions when you eat: is this food good enough for me? Do I know enough about where it came from? Will it make me feel good?

Now think about it: would you date someone you know nothing about? Or someone who claims they’ll be very good for you (with no proof they actually would)? Or someone who could harm you physically? Or mentally? Hopefully your answer is no. And yet, when you eat packaged foods, do you systematically check the ingredients’ list? Do you get put off by awfully long lists of ingredients or ones that include names you don’t even recognize or picture in your mind? Do you think about the effect they can have on your body?

You’re probably eating some foods that are hurting you and that’s not surprising, given how little attention we sometimes give to the foods we’re allowing into our bodies. Knowing where your food came from, who prepared it, and what’s inside is key to having a healthy relationship with it. Asking yourself these questions will initiate a mindset shift that’ll make you take ownership of your food choices and make sure the foods you eat are worthy of you.

Food, like people, can drag us down and deplete our physical and mental health or they can support us in our life’s journey, build us up and bring us joy. And the best part is you get to choose what kind of relationship you want to be in with your food: an abusive one or a fulfilling one. So, which one will it be?

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