I am, as I write, consuming a peanut butter and jam sandwich. My family know what this means - I've had a trying day. I had to reduce my programme from a running time of 16 minutes 15 seconds, to fit into the time limit of 13-15 minutes. I managed to do it (*huge relief*). But back to the sandwich. What, you may be asking, does a peanut butter and jam sandwich have to do with stress? In simple terms - it's my comfort food. We often don't realise that food does much more for us than just provide the nutrition necessary to survive. We're rigged so that we don't just need food, but we actually enjoy it. Not only that, but by means of psychological association certain foods can bring us relaxation, comfort or happiness beyond any nutritional or gastronomic qualities they may have. For example, if (as in my case) you frequently recieved peanut butter and jam sandwiches for lunch as a child, and these times were good and happy ones, for the rest of your life you may crave P & J sandwiches when in need of a bit of comfort. For my dad it's tea, and cold toast with thick (think cheeselike) butter on it. For others it's roast beef and potatoes. Whatever. This impulse (fine in and of itself) can also have a darker side. I know someone who was often deprived of food when a child and also underwent many other hardships that no one (let alone a kid) should have to face. For years after these conditions had changed they would steal and hoard food, overeating whenever they could - seeking to fill an empty spot that refused to go away. I'm aware that all these massively obese people are now blaming their genes, but it smells of a cop-out to me. Many of them have had troubled pasts, and eating has been their way of blocking out their problems. We shouldn't despise them for their lack of control, or give up on them because 'their genes caused them to be this way'. We should have compassion on them and, when given the opportunity, attempt to help them at as many levels as we can.
All serious issues aside, isn't it great that a necessity should give us so much pleasure? Praise God for his kindness. Now, where's that peanut butter jar . . .
6 comments:
I dont eat peanutbutter cause it gets stuck behind my tonsils
Food can definitely be a status symbol, can't it. :-)
I mean, take caviar. It might be okay-tasting but it's not the food of the gods or anything. And look at the expense! and its popularity with the elite. It's a kudos/mana/prestige thing.
And most of the time expensive food is gross!
It's like they're trying to be so experimental and fancy that they forget that people have to eat it.
I shall have to try that sometime. When I'm feeling rich. Or maybe after you're on your teacher's salary . . . ;-)
It's a very different situation for me. I have very few memories tied to food consumption, and consequently, I don't tend to eat anything under stress.
After a difficult day, I often find myself skipping a meal, or forgetting to eat.
During a hard day I'd skip meals, especially lunch. But not after. :-)
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