Eating is a beautiful thing. Food has strong powers: it can change your mood, change your perspective, give you new experiences, add to your cultural awareness, and it can calm you down. The one thing I know I can count on each day is that there will be food available, and this is a very important necessity in life. Not solely because we need to eat for survival, but because food is just so wonderful. Now, if you have had your fair share of ups and downs, then you must know what it means to seek refuge with food. It does not matter what it is, food will save you. Of course, I am not going to make this entire article about food, although I could because there is infinite praise for food. My goal is to help you see the big picture, and how your day to day life functions because of food.
Say you wake up one day and you don’t have your breakfast. You go straight to your job/internship/task; I guarantee you that your mood is already affected. Either you were extra irritable during traffic on your way this morning, or you could be really “hungry” now. The point is that your stomach is demanding that you provide nourishment, and until you fulfill that request, it will overpower your cognitive function. This happens to be the case for many college students and young adults because we prioritize other things.
Now that you have realized how hungry you are, you have to complete some of your assignments before you can tend to your biological or emotional obligation. (This is not always the case, I know many who will drop everything and take care of the situation the moment it starts). Either way, by the time you finish your work and head to a food provider you will most likely be ready to drop to the floor (personal experience). You managed to get to food, but now you have to decide what you will have; honestly, at this point you don’t care what it is. You’ll grab whatever looks good, and you’ll keep grabbing/ordering/taking nourishment until your visual hunger is taken care of. Once you come back to reality, you realize you just had five times your normal amount. At first, you don’t care because it was delicious, but a week later when you’re wondering why your jeans don’t fit anymore, it will hit you. Now you’ll fall into a slight depression that you have gained weight and punish yourself mentally.
Unfortunately, this process continues until you gain enough realization that you can control your hunger strikes. You can do this by snaking regularly, and eating the right types of food. Your body needs water and nourishment, as well as rest to give you balanced cognitive control. Many Americans fail to understand this, and as a result, we see increased health concerns rise within our nation. The root of the problem is simple: EAT, PLEASE EAT. Just eat regularly and healthily. Have your cheat days as a reward, and stay persevering with your new lifestyle. Food will never stop existing, but you might. Don’t you want to live long enough to eat all the food that the world has to offer? I sure do.
