“If you are not getting the primary food you need, eating all the food in the world won’t satisfy your hunger.” – Joshua Rosenthal

When we think of food our mind goes to our favorite meal and the components that make up that meal. Possibly, your mind goes to calories, macronutrients, grams, and so on. When we think of food we think of what goes in our mouth and down into our stomach. In relation to the concept of this blog, we will refer to all of those things as our secondary foods.

Secondary foods are intended to keep us healthy, full of life, and fueled to pursue our primary foods. Primary foods are things like our relationships, hobbies, careers, faith, and other big picture things that give our life purpose. 

A common ailment in our society is that we look for fulfillment or relief via secondary foods when our primary foods are out of whack. Not quite sure what I am talking about? Let me give you a few examples:

• the common image of a woman binge eating ice cream on her couch after a breakup
• a person pouring a drink after a stressful day at work

If you have participated in the above, don’t be ashamed, it is a very common reaction to find solace or momentary joy in the happy hormones released as we consume things we like. With the knowledge of WHY that is our reaction, we can prevent it and in turn improve our lives. If you are in a state of mindless eating (or maybe not eating at all), ask yourself the hard questions. Why do I feel this way? Where is there an imbalance in my life? Do a quick scan of your relationships, your career, your hobbies, your faith, your self care and acknowledge where you need to do the work.

Why am I talking about this during health at the holidays? The holidays can be a stressful time as the year comes to close at work. It can be stressful because you are juggling so many things. Maybe the holidays is not a time that you feel celebratory. Food and drink is not the answer to dealing with the above, but it can be a symptom of a bigger problem. With that knowledge, you can search for a solution.

About Laura Burdick

Laura is the Director of Sales and Operations at The Hot Room. She also teaches Original Hot Yoga, Inferno Hot Pilates, Hot Power Sculpt and Hot Power Vinyasa. As a certified health coach, Laura leads all of The Hot Room wellness programs. To contact Laura directly about your wellness questions, you can email her at laura@thehotroom.com.  You can also read more about Laura on her bio page.