It's funny how my focus over the past couple of weeks has shifted to understanding why food plays a pivotal role in my life and how I can better nourish my body to feed my mind. I've been speaking to my coach about this (yes, I have a coach, too), trying to uncover the beliefs and limiting ideas I hold around it.
I've realised that, within my family, we've not had the healthiest relationship with food. Growing up as an 80s kid, the obsession with being skinny was overwhelming. "Fat-free this," "diet that"—it was everywhere. This saturation left my mum confused and unsure, and I absorbed habits that were neither healthy nor sustainable. Over the years, I moved from trying to be skinny as a teenager—jumping up and down doing crunches in my bedroom in the middle of the night, poking and prodding my body, starving myself, binging, purging, taking pills—to now trying to understand why my relationship with food is so emotional.
Recently, while listening to my friend Miriam (superstar body & weighloss coach - Instagram @miriam.blyth), who coaches me on this subject, she said something that stuck with me: those who seem to "stay skinny without dieting" simply see food as food. That's it. Food is just fuel for their bodies. When she said this, it hit me: I feel food as a host of emotions. Food becomes my reward when I feel overwhelmed, bored, afraid, happy, in need of comfort—or even when I'm procrastinating.
Miriam explained that the trick is to view food as just another object, like a pen or a book—without emotional attachment (Stationery fans, bear with me!). It made me ask myself: Why does food carry so much emotional weight for me? If food's purpose is to nourish, are my emotional thoughts undermining its ability to do so?
Food isn't inherently "bad" or "makes you fat." Because it's about the quantity and how we use the energy it provides. Yet, when we attach so much emotion to food, it becomes more significant than it needs to be. Our brains switch into survival mode, questioning why we're depriving ourselves or chasing short-lived joy through indulgence. The problem isn't the food; it's our emotional connection to it.
I've started working on this with my coach, and I've realised my relationship with food holds so many old emotions, triggers and behaviours. If I want to change, I need to address the root cause. It's too easy to unconsciously pass these patterns on to our children. We may avoid repeating the past, but we often recreate it in a different form by focusing so much on not being like something. Breaking the cycle isn't about avoidance; it's about truthfully facing our thoughts, understanding the emotions they create, unpacking them, and then reshaping them into something empowering. Only then can we nourish our bodies properly—and free our minds from toxic emotions.
The subject of how we feel about our bodies is vast and complex, filled with differing opinions. I know this because so many of my dear friends share their frustrations—feeling out of control with food, shopping, or drinking as a way to cope. I've done the same. But I'm tired of the hatred, anger, and avoidance that consume me. I'm done pretending I've got it all "in hand." With the support of my coach and therapy, I'm learning to sit with my emotions, understand them, and adjust. I'm working towards nourishing my body and mind differently. I believe I'm on a path to a healthy, balanced, emotionally detached relationship with food—a nourished life.
Food can be more than what's on our plate; it can reflect the emotions and stories we've carried over the years. To nourish our bodies and minds, we must start with curiosity, not judgment. Ask yourself: What story am I telling myself about food? About my body? Begin to rewrite those stories with compassion. Start small—notice your patterns, feel your emotions without turning to food, and remind yourself that nourishment is an act of love, not punishment.
Here's to breaking cycles, rewriting narratives, and creating a relationship with food that supports not just our physical health but the freedom of our minds and hearts. When nourishing ourselves, we create space for joy, growth, and peace.