Powerful Food

Food. This ever encompassing word is used to describe an apple, a tomato, spaghetti, a slice of pizza and even something exotic like foie gras and truffles. What does it mean to people? For some it can mean a source of nourishment, others look at it as a bag of chemical compounds waiting to be broken down in your body. Yet again we have those who see food as something much more than that. They see it as a conversation starter, an act of love, a selfless gesture and a way to someone's heart.

Food is more than just the taste, texture, flavor, smell and all those other verbs we think of when we talk about food. It is more than the act of putting an edible item in your mouth to release gastric juices that will ultimately digest it and it is definitely more than getting your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of your carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. Studying nutrition myself, we sometimes forget that food is not just about those chemicals that have been so perfectly arranged in an intricate pattern. Michael Pollan rightly said that society has become so much about counting calories and fretting over the adequate intake of certain food groups. We are so used to using so many scientific terms when we think about food that we forget what it actually means.

For me, food is about relationships, emotions, family and love. Food is what connects us to other human beings. It brings people together around the table or even in the kitchen-though some don't like being disturbed in the kitchen. It is an unselfish act to show someone that you love and care about them. Food sparks memories. We remember our childhood and those foods that your mother, father or grandmother used to make for you and that no matter who else tried they could never get it just perfect like them. No matter who we are, where we are from or what we look like, we can always bond over something to eat. Food is a universal experience, it is what gives all of us a common ground to stand on.