Food and Me

Food. Food. Food.

I love food! I love all types of food. There's barely anything within the realm of food that I won't at least try and it's almost a guarantee that if I try it, I'll like it! Spicy, salty, sweet, tangy, savory, tart, sour, smoky, rich. I love it all. The more powerful and extreme the flavor, the better the dish in my opinion.

Since there are so many foods that I love, it would save time to make of list of the things that I don't like to eat:

- Peas (By themselves. I don't mind eating them if they're mixed into a soup or casserole.)

- Sushi (Tried it once, the real deal with the seaweed wrap and all, and really didn't like it. I have yet to be brave enough to try it again.)

- Squid, Octopus, Eel, etc. (I don't believe these things should be eaten and I will not try them. Ever.)

- Insects (Once again, I don't believe insects should fall into the category of food for humans so I will never try those. Not even if they're covered in chocolate.) Would you try them?

- Balut (No, just no.) Don't know what it is? Find out here.

And that's about it. More than half of the items I listed above are barely even considered "actual food" in my opinion but because some people on the other side of the earth believe otherwise, I figured I would include them on my list to be fair. Surely, there are many delicacies that I have not included, but I'm not a delicacy expert like this guy so don't expect too much from me, okay?

My love for food started a very young age. When I think about food I think about all of the good things in my life. Holidays, celebrations, birthdays, family gatherings, parties, special events. How many of these great events can you think of that didn't also include great food?

Food makes people feel good. It reminds them of happy times like I mentioned above. It reminds them of special people and places. I cannot eat a potato salad without comparing it to my MawMaw's recipe. I can't eat watermelon without being reminded of the time I spent down south in Alabama, spitting out seeds with my cousins and family that I had never met before. Food is one of the greatest gifts you can give a person. The smile on my boyfriend's face when I bring him a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven is priceless.

More importantly, food is essential to survival. We all must eat to live. And some people, including myself, live to eat. I am so passionate about food. Cooking and baking are two of my most favorite hobbies. I'd rather be sporting my apron in the kitchen, whipping up an awesome meal, or throwing together a dessert you'll never forget, than doing anything else. I love food, always have, and definitely always will.

However, this is where the problem lies. I love food so much, that I truly believe I am addicted to it. I'm going beyond the idea that "I need food to live, so I'm addicted." Once again, I'm saying, I live to eat. Food makes me feel good. Food makes me happy. Food makes other people happy, and I like that, so I make them food. Food is like a drug that's always accessible and acceptable. My addiction to food is constantly reinforced, day in and day out.

I am overweight because my portion sizes are out of control. When I was little, I remember being told, "Finish your plate. You better not waste any food!" And believe me, I didn't. At every meal I ate every morsel of food from my plate and only stopped short of licking it clean. And did I stop there? No. I would almost always get seconds. And if I really enjoyed the dish, sometimes I'd get thirds if there was enough left over.

Notice I didn't say, "And if I was still hungry, I'd get thirds." I was never actually HUNGRY after my first serving. I simply enjoyed the food so much, that I wanted to eat more, and more. These horrible eating habits were rarely discouraged by my parents, family or peers, and sometimes it was even encouraged because it became more of an amusement just to see how much my body could actually handle before I nearly burst.

When I reached my heaviest weight during my first year of college, I realized something had to change. Two years later, I'm still trying to get my food addiction under control, but I have made great progress. I'm eating much healthier foods than I did when I was younger but I'm still struggling with portion control and my extreme sweet tooth is a major problem. My love for chocolate is unreal.

Maybe after reading and talking about the literature in this class, I can find a way to manage my food addiction. I look forward to those changes, but one thing is certain, I do not want to change my love for food. I believe it is possible to feel passionate about food and love it entirely without being addicted to it, and that, my friends, is my ultimate goal.

I don't think I'll ever love peas by themselves though. Sorry, no changing that. Yuck.