How do you feel about the food you eat? What is the reason behind we eating more sweet when we are very happy or very sad. Why are we so choosy about what we eat and what not. Does food really have to do with filling stomach only or it its function goes beyond that?

The fact is, food affects us in many, emotional, and spiritual ways. Research is going on this relation between food and emotions and so far they all believe in this relation.

Food is not just a source of protein, carb, fat, vitamins, and minerals, they deliver much more than that.  Food is an energy. When we consume any food item, we basically consume an energy from that food.

What we choose to eat decides the quality of the nutrients and energy that we bring into our body.  Our body and mind gets affected differently by different food products. Fresh, wholesome, organic food items are better to the body as compared to processed foods which contains the hazardous chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics.

For example, processed foods are high in sodium and low in potassium, the inverse of what our body needs.

The quantity and quality of energy available  in food we eat and its impact on our body depends on the equipment and methods we use to store and cook the food. A study published in ‘The Lancet’, a medical journal showed microwave cooking leads to functional and structural changes in the body, and transforms certain amino acids in food into toxins which can damage our nervous system and other organs such as  liver and even kidneys.   

Besides these external and physical effects, food affects us emotionally. Besides eating food for nourishment and energy, we use food to survive in ups and downs of life.  We feed infants to comfort them or make them stop crying, even if hunger might not be the cause of tears.  

In a same way, we might also eat certain food items to create a sense of comfort, security, joy and usually to make up for failings in other parts of our life.  We sometimes eat to deal with feelings because of our inability to understand the true message of those feelings.

This ineffective way of dealing with feelings and stressful life situations can result in food cravings that we can't control as we don't know how to interpret or decode those emotions.

This inability can increase our feeling of helplessness, our stress, and lower our self image and self esteem.

Food also affects us mentally by affecting our body's chemistry. Whole grains increases the level of serotonin leading to a feeling of well being and being more able to handle stress.

Similarly, other foods affect our memory and ability to focus and relax.  There are many ways in which foods we choose to eat impact us mentally, emotionally, and physically.

With right food choices and right cooking habits, we make our body ready to accept all the healthy nutrients by using which our mind and body performs better in harmony