This… is a banana.
A small and pitiful looking banana, maybe, but a banana nonetheless.
Bananas are a fabulous food – I absolutely love them.
I love them in banana bread…
In oatmeal…
In almond butter/banana sandwiches…
In smoothies…
On their own and fancied up…
Yessss. No matter what form they come in, bananas are absolutely delicious.
They easily make my list of top 10 foods.
Unfortunately, to many people, bananas aren’t a food at all – they’re actually a collection of numbers…
90 calories
0g fat
23g carbs
1g protein
But this post isn’t about bananas – it’s about an issue that’s been bugging me for quite some time…
The Science of Eating
When did eating become a equation? Cooking a calculation? Meal time a math lesson?
When did a beautifully prepared meal go from being a nourishing work of art to nothing more than an attempt at a perfect ratio of carbs, proteins, and fats…
. . .
When we stopped listening to our bodies and started relying too much on our heads.
When we bought into the belief that there’s a “perfect” or “right” way to eat.
When we let ourselves be convinced that enjoying food is a sin.
Food is fuel, sure, but is that all it is? Is it not an experience? An adventure?
Does it not bring us closer together and put a smile on our face?
We’re constantly being cautioned against “emotional eating”, and told that eating for pleasure somehow makes us horrible human beings… because there’s nothing worse than making ourselves feel a little bit better with a bowl of ice cream when we’re having a bad day, right? Or going out to grab a bite to eat with some friends, even when we’re not hungry, just to enjoy the company…
There’s more to life than food, sure, but food also introduces something more to life; and if we treat it as nothing more than a number or a ratio, we’re robbing ourselves of one of life’s greatest pleasures.
So let’s start skipping our Foodie Math 101 class, and go out for some froyo instead…
Maybe it’ll help us start seeing things for what they really are, as in the case of the simple banana…
… which isn’t a Carb Monster or a Sugar Devil, but a piece of [delicious] food…
Nothing more. Nothing less.
. – . – . – .
Do you struggle to see food as more than just a number?
Would love to hear your thoughts! 😀
Wonderful post, as per usual! I remember that a huge step in my recovery was when I realized that I no longer viewed food as nourishment, but as numbers, calories–and when I stopped counting, phew! What a relief! 🙂
New reader here and I’ve been going through/loving your archives! So inspiring and wise! I am guilty of attaching numbers to my food (not necessarily calories but macronutrient ratio) and I’m trying to break away from that habit! You couldn’t have said it better: food really is one of life’s simplest pleasures and there really is no need to make it unnecessarily mind-boggling! Amen
I actually used to not eat bananas. Who knows why…but I love em now! 🙂
In the past, I’ve attempted to keep calorie logs, multiple times, but honestly I never got past logging my mid-morning snack. I do still look at calories of almost everything I buy, but I’ve slowly started to look more at the ingredients than at the numbers.
I actually don’t have the patience (nor the inclination) to see the “numbers” behind my meals…and thank goodness for that. I do get stressed about eating & tend to fluctuate between being controlling and over-eating… but I find when I just let food be food and eat till I’m just-right (not stuffed) I’m happy, my body is happy, and life is much much simpler.
PS. LOVE bananas! Magic fruit. 😉
For a while I was really wrapped up in the numbers game…and then poof! I suddenly realized how wrong I was about the whole thing. And now I no longer obsess and I am at the same weight I was prior to having a baby. I feel fabulous. Aside from my eczema of course…but that’s another story altogether.
Forgive me my friend but I have to say that I just don’t like bananas!!
Haha I actually remembered that when I was writing this post – I hope that doesn’t make me a creepster 😉
Yet another great post! You always manage to inspire me in some way 🙂
It is funny that you brought up bananas though, as they were one of my all time fear foods (I admit I’m still a bit weary of them). I hate how much thought I actually give to food numbers. Not even just calories, but fats and other nutrients too. It is sad that I sometimes even get anxious if I don’t know or cant guestimate the numbers in a food :/ I am really making headway and working on this though!
I love this post 🙂
Can you believe that bananas used to be one of my biggest fear foods?! How crazy/stupid is that?!
You’re right that food is fuel yet it is also a wonderful experience.
I agree that we should be allowed to emotionally eat sometimes. 🙂
Thanks for the reminder. I needed to hear this tonight.
<3
I think bananas top a lot of people’s fear food list – they were on mine as well… but thankfully, now they’ve moved to my top 10 favorites list 😀
Amen, sister, amen. Thankfully I never really counted calories so I have nooooo idea how many calories I eat in a day, nor do I ever want to know the calorie count of anything that passes my lips. However, I hate it when food companies see it as an obligation to plant the amount of calories in a food SMACK BANG on the front of it. Like on chocolate bars, for instance. I don’t *care* how many calories are in it. Can I please enjoy this chocolate in piece without being interrupted by numbers?! Rawr!
To me, calories don’t mean anything because I know that they’re useless. As a physicist, I know it as a unit of energy, that is, the energy required to raise the temperature 1 gram of water by 1 degree. And this is about 4.2 joules. That’s it. So if I’m carrying a lot of water weight, does that mean that if I eat something that’s 100 calories, that I raise 1 gram of it by 100 degrees?! Hmmm hahahahaha.
I lived for so long by food rules. I was eating how I was being told to eat but I wasn’t getting any pleasure from my food whatsoever. It’s a sad life when you don’t get pleasure from the food you eat.
Another great thought provoking post!
xxx
Haha! Thanks for the science lesson, girlie <3
And yes… life without pleasure from food is just a sad one…
I agree with you, totally! I have one roommate who always tells things like: “Oh, this (insert almost any meal) is sooo good, but it is too high in calories, so I can´t eat it:((((” And I always feel that it is so wrong to think like that. If you like it, then eat it. Your body is telling you that there are some nutrients it needs, so you better listen! Calories are really just numbers and they don´t mean that much. Of course, overeating does no good, but there is a huge space between not-eating-at-all an overeating, and this space can be filled with eating various, colorful, healthy, tasty and sometimes even a bit unhealthy food regardless of its calories and other numbers.
I have to be honest here, that I still do look at the nutrition facts when I buy something and roughly “guestimate” the calories of my meals.
But reading more of posts like this reminds me that food may be for fuel, but more importantly for pleasure, too. (Thank goodness I gave up the whole “reduce sugar!!” thing…I need some sugar in my diet or I’ll pass out 😛 )
I’m so grateful that I started looking more into the “micronutrients” than “macros” now. It assures me that I’m doing good for my body – not just stuffing myself with the “evil” calories.
Wonderful post! I actually just wrote something similar to this earlier today… it’s funny how similar we are 🙂
I do count calories as a way of knowing and controlling how much I eat. I am trying to stop, but I get too “scared” when I don’t know how much I have eaten for the day. Planning to work on this though, thank you for the reminder!
GIRL YOU ARE MY HERO! Seriously, move to LA. Hell, move in with me, my hubby wont mind 😉
I have gotten lost in the whole number game a few times, and sometimes I still do, but Im trying REALLY hard to focus on the RIGHT numbers. NOT calories, but instead NUTRIENTS. What is this piece of food going to give me? What will it provide? How will it power my body? Thats what I really try to focus on, but sometimes (like when Im eating cake) I tend to care only about the calories. One day girl, one day us girls will be FREE from numbers!! The only number I want to care about is the number on those dumbells 😉
Only if I can steal Opie! 😀
And this –> “The only number I want to care about is the number on those dumbells ” — I LOVE!
It’s really interesting to see people who say that “fodo is just fuel” and that they basically can just eat what they think is best for them… probably because I’m fairly bad at that 😉
I think there’s a time and place to be concerned with some semblance of science and number… like, sure, I try to eat some protein after working out and make sure I get in carbs beforehand, but I also try to detach the nubmers from the foods because otherwise it drives me crazy. Of course, today I actually di dput the calorie count on a recipe I posted about. And I will admit I pay more attention to the numbers than I’d like. But I’m a work in progress. 🙂
PS just in case your junk mail eats it again I just replied to your e-mail 🙂 <3
This post is amazing. It’s exactly what I try to teach my clients! Intuitive eating… go for what you want. Eat what you want. Just make sure you’re hungry, and in the end it doesn’t truthfully matter. This is definitely going in my favorite post tab.
I am so happy you used bananas as an example bc it is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves when I hear people saying that a half banana is a serving size or that banana counts as a carb for them. Its a frickin piece of fruit people!!! Pure delicious, from nature, whole food FRUIT!!!
UMMMMMM ya. I’m logging this one as a post to come back to over and over and over again…whenever I’m having a bad day. You need to write a book. So I can read it!
🙂
Gush. Thank you Anna 🙂
So glad I’ve grown out of the food as number phase of my life. Calorie counting just sucks. I find that if you eat *real* food the whole carb, protein, fat thing should just balance itself out on its own. Plus who wants to waste time figuring all those things out? Great post, Amanda. Now I want a banana. The fancied up one, obviously 🙂
Amanda this post was seriously one of the best ever – it should be published in every newspaper!!! I totally agree with everything you said!!! I hate it how our society has insisted on putting labels on every single item of food and labeling it as “good” verses “bad” – food should be enjoyable and makes us feel happy!!!
i too adore bananas – i eat one almost every day!!!
Yes! Have you ever read any Bittman, Pollan or Kessler? You would love their books. I still struggle with some items. After a while on a meal plan you start to think of your maronutrients this is a starch…this is a fat. If we ditch all that and go with our instincts and eat REAL FOOD than I think our bodies sort the rest out.
Such a great post! I used to struggle with that, but I’m a no calorie counter. I like to focus on food that is wholesome and tastes good. The rest takes care of itself.
You totally rock girlfriend! I think basically everyone needs to read this. It seems as though it is becoming more and more common to attach numbers to food – and that is just plain sad. Sometimes food is purely for fuel, other times it is for enjoyment or experience with others, as well as in between. This attaching numbers to food is way too over done in my opinion, life is far more then getting the perfect ratio or nutrients or not going over the “calorie limit” for the day. It is funny you bring up bananas, someone recently asked me how I manage to eat at least one banana every day and stay thin. They thought of them as “the unhealthy sugary fruit”.I seriously laughed, sure if I only ate 15 bananas a day that may be too much sugar, and no fun, but some days I eat three along with tons of other yumm stuff and I am doing just fine 🙂
Haha people question my banana eating habits as well… It drives me CRAZY when people claim that bananas lead to weight gain.
oh my gosh! i kind of feel all fuzzy that you mentioned bananas — the bananas in my house the past two days have been the PERFECT ripeness, just a few speckles and lots of yellow, they were so sweet and had the perfect silky texture — oh my GOSH i gobbled up three per day! but anyway…yes, i love bananas.
in response to your questions, with my eating disorder, yes, i often struggle to see foods as more than just a number. as i am slowly getting over the “calorie” horror, i find i am seeking fiber and shunning sugar, and this is all just wrong. my body will eat what it likes! very interesting point you make there, about eating because it is part of life. i love how you shed light on the fact that eating for pleasure is NOT A SIN, as it is definitely something i struggle with.
thank you!
xxx alexandra
In the past few weeks, I’ve come to this exact realization, and after reading In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I feel even more confident in agreeing with you: food. is not. a number. I refuse to continue thinking of food in terms of calories, or even in terms of fuel – it’s so much more than that. Lately, I’ve been making an effort to listen to what my body wants, because a meal truly is more than the sum of its parts. The little calorie-counting devil still pops up from time to time, but I’m extremely proud to say that I’ve very nearly banished him from my mind. And I couldn’t be happier. 🙂
I’m definitely getting over it! I loved this post…I’m adding you to my blog roll because you and your blog = awesomeness 🙂
Great topic. once upon a time I was obsessed with cutting down my sugar intake and of course any form of fruit was a no-no because fruits contain sugar. Especially banana’s.
Blah blah blah is what I hear when I people start to talk about that now. I eat at least one banana a day. Sometimes 2, heck I’ve even had 3 in a day!
Food isn’t a number, it’s food! Stop over thinking about it and just eat it!
Besides, I hate math anyways. 😉
I just recently had a face-off with a coworker who claimed he’s gaining weight due to his three-banana a day habit. …You know, as opposed to the FOUR VENTI FRAPPUCCINOS that accompany the bananas : Oh, my…
I definitely stil struggle with seeing food as NOURISHMENT, and not as a nutritional facts table. DAMN the knowledge my ed made me acquire!! In that moment, however, when I’m about to put down the bowl of cherries or mug of hot chocolate (yes, in the middle of June :$), I remind myself that MOST people DON’T tally and log each calorie and macronutrient, and still manage to stay happy and healthy! *Ultimate a-ha moment*
izzyy
I love a-ha moments 😀 It definitely sucks that the knowledge of numbers can’t be unlearned, but you CAN change how it affects you.
This post is so beautiful and relevant! Food is a joy to behold, not something to fear. I love food and find it to be a delight to prepare and share with family and friends. However, I can’t tell you how many times I have been told that food is merely fuel; “eat to live don’t live to eat”. This phrase left my heart and mind very confused! I love food.. am I not allowed to enjoy it? I tried to view food as just a number, because it’s what I thought I had to do. Now, I live life and just focus on listening to my body and enjoying food!
Good for you, girl! Of course you’re able to enjoy it! There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with taking pleasure from food.
Uhh, this week my ‘calculations’ take over my day and ruin the meals/snacks I should be enjoying. Thank you for your eye-opening posts, they lead me in the right direction of recovery. 🙂 Now imma go eat my yummy nanner.
ahh what a wonderful post, Amanda! I’ve never really focused on numbers, but I’ve definitely fixated on the macronutrients of food. Yes, food is tied to health, but I don’t think that that concept should be taken to an extreme. While at the most basic level, food is a source of fuel and nourishment, I think that the fact that we are relational beings means that food is SO much more than that: it has a social and emotional dimension as well, which I think is so key to enjoying life. I know for myself personally, partaking in food socially and emotionally and nostalgically – ways in which we are sometimes told not to let food become, makes my life so much more enjoyable and freeing. i think we SHOULD take pleasure in food… i am definitely epicurean in that sense 😉
I used to focus on numbers, etc. But now I eat what my body craves or wants. I dont deny myself anymore and find pleasure in preparing and EATING food 🙂 great post Amanda!
PS- I LOVE ME SOME BANANA!! go-go potasium!
I don’t concern myself with calories anymore. It goes against my entire view on eating. I eat foods that nourish my body and please my taste buds, that keep me healthy, that are a joy to prepare and then a joy to eat for a half hour or so. Eating should be a stress-free activity. Worrying about calories takes away all the happiness and comfort in food. In my opinion, the healthiest way to eat is to simply be mindful of your own body. Our bodies know best. They’ll tell us what we want. It’s a shame that so many people, girls in particular, go against their intuition in favor of lower-calorie options. Nutrients over numbers! I completely agree with you. Meals should not be calculations. I’ve never liked math very much, anyway. 🙂
Every single post on this blog makes me happy! When I stopped overthinking every calorie and nutrient on my plate, I actually started to enjoy my food instead of obsessing over it. Don’t get me wrong, I love food, but thinking about it all day everyday is exhausting. When I just eat what I want, my body balances everything out.
I hate when I read articles that caution people to stay away from too much fruit because of the sugar and calories. Um, I’m pretty sure the whole point of food is that it has calories.
You pretty much summed up my beliefs in a nutshell chica! 🙂 It’s SO exhausting to think of every single number, what ever happend to just food being delicious food?
YES! When I spent so much time trying to figure out the “right” way to eat, it just ended up being all sorts of wrong – I was never satisfied and always thinking about food. Only when I finally threw my hands up in the air in frustration and said “fine body, have it your way”, did I actually start enjoying myself again.
Amen to that. I really needed to read this right now. Thank you!
Thought you might like to know I’m printing this off and taping it to my wall. I’m in recovery for an ED and this is exactly what I’m dealing with right now, and no-one has ever explained it so well.
I haven’t commented before but I’ve been reading from the beginning, and your old blog before, and it’s been a huge help to me. Just thought I’d say OMGIloveyou.
Awwr girl thanks so much for taking the time to say hi! I’m really glad my words can help you, and I just wanna tell you that you’re absolutely AWESOME for taking a pro-active role in your recovery!
I totally agree. Even in the blogging world, everyone is always trying to number food, if not through calories, then through its components (proteins, fats, blah blah). You know what? I say screw that. I eat what my body wants and needs. I eat what makes me feel good. I eat what makes me feel happy.
I definitely think there is more to food than a number. Food is about pleasure and nourishment.
Cheers to that! [insert sound of drinking glasses clicking]. Sad but true fact: everything that enters my mouth has a number on it. I used to think “always has always will” when it comes to my mentality of numbers on food, but in really it hasn’t ALWAYS been that way (duh) and I’m finally beginning to realize that it WON’T always be that way. The future is friendly and I’m open to changing my mindset. Thanks for such a motivational post to keep me moving in the right direction 🙂
It’s definitely hard to unlearn what you know about the numbers associated with food, but with a little time and effort, the association will become weaker. Keep fighting, girl!
I counted calories for one month. ohmygosh. worst month of my life. it made me more hungry than I really was, made me totally feel obsessive, and pretty much… i hated myself!
Thank goodness it was just a month and I came to my senses so long ago =) I love this post and everything it stands for girl! you tell em! <3 mwah!
I totally used to see food as a number (especially b/c I used to be on weight watchers and it’s how I was told to think). However, ever since I broke away from the program I have tried to focus on intuitive eating and it’s been going pretty well so far! Smoothies, cookies, pizza…I can have it all. It’s hard and sometimes I feel the food guilt but it’s all a process and I’m learning to be okay with that! I love your posts, you seem to capture exactly how I’m feeling!
So true– all those mindful eating recommendations tend to be geared towards people who clinically need to lose weight. My mom is fond of saying something along the lines of “remember the intended audience”. People who have struggled with disordered eating thoughts will tend to to take those general recommendations TOO far. I’m happy to see someone who is giving a message for those in that segment of the population 🙂
Remember the intended audience… I love that! Your mom is a smart woman 😀