We are terribly confused about food.
A five-second Google search offers 6,000 ways to deepen my confusion — and that’s before I go back in time. From the rise of processed food after World War II to the current obsessions with and aversions to fat, carbs, and sugar, we have created a new tradition of edible agitation.
How to Overcome Overwhelm
This agitation about food can be defined as overwhelm. Overwhelm is what happens when we overcomplicate something. Too many options. Too few clear directions. Too many quick fixes that turn out to be empty promises.
Overwhelm is a problem of the mind. Therefore we know where to begin with this food problem.
Our minds are meant to interpret what our senses take in. That smell means the pie is done. That taste means the food is astringent. That comment means that I am a worthy human.
Our minds are our friends in this job of interpretation until they become overstimulated. After that point they often collapse into a spiral of self-annihilation.
The answer to overwhelm is to simplify.
Simple Heals
Most Ayurvedic teachers I’ve learned from share a similar refrain: When in doubt, go for the simplest option.
For me, simplicity is returning to food’s original intent.
What we eat is meant to nourish us. It is meant to taste good and make us feel good. It is meant to give us more — more energy, more passion for what we are here to do. Food, at its original intent, is life force.
Life force is best served unadulterated. Unmodified. Unextracted from its perfect form.
This is the opposite of overwhelm — this is edible harmony.
