Nutraceuticals Food
Food is not only for filling the stomach. Food is a way of sharing feelings, love and memories and building relationships. When a family shares a meal together, dinner is not only about eating but what happens when they connect with one another. After moving abroad, my food intake was inconsistent. I skipped breakfast, had quick and simple food late at night and thought this was convenient. Shortly I felt and recognized that it had an effect on my health. This experience made me realize that food and nutrition are not just about eating, but also about balance, discipline and even communication between people.
Sharing hearts while dining with family is more important than just enjoying food. When I was in Korea, I had dinner with my family. We asked each other how we were feeling and discussed our days at that table. Also being with family also made me feel warm. I would find peace at the dinner table. However, a lot has changed since studying overseas. Because of my busy schedule, I often ate alone quickly or skipped meals sometimes. Of course I missed the time that I used to have dinner with my family and felt more tired and lonely. I came to see that food serves as a bond that maintains family ties in addition to providing the body with energy.
Food can also influence the quest for social connection and friendship. Eating together allows for the opportunity to share feelings and ideas. I often hang out with my friends in cafes. Starbucks is not only a place that sells coffee. As the founder Howard Schultz once said, “We don’t sell coffee, we sell a place.” At Starbucks, people study, talk and share about their daily lives. I personally feel at home, comfortable and content being with friends while having a drink and conversing. I do not feel this level of comfort and happiness when I am alone and eating. This helped me to see that food and drink not only serve the purpose of delivering nutrition but also help develop personal relationships.
One of the most complex issues about living overseas has been irregular eating habits. I can’t focus in class when I miss breakfast. I feel exhausted right after I eat lunch too late or too quickly. During exam weeks, I had a hard time following any regular eating schedule at all, and I was always ordering late-night snacks or instant noodles. I thought I was saving time, but weeks of that type of eating affected my mood, and my health began to suffer. I began to realize that eating irregularly is really not a small issue. Irregular eating is a big habit that does damage to both my body and mind. Sometimes on busy school days, I skipped lunch and by afternoon, I would be feeling spin and it would be tough to focus on lessons. There was one day where I skipped both breakfast and lunch because I was so rushed to finish my homework and study for a test. By evening I was so weak that I fell asleep without studying. That experience demonstrated that bad eating habits not only affect my body but they hinder me from achieving my learning goals as a student. Many of my classmates have this same struggle. They often skip meals or only eat fast food, and in the beginning it is simple but eventually it makes you tired, stressed and less productive.
I wanted to change my bad habit, so I tried to change a small thing. Even when I am busy, I try to eat simple food in the morning, like a banana or yogurt. Between classes, I bring fruit or nuts as healthy snacks. I also drink more water to keep my body balanced. These small changes helped me feel more focus and less stressed. It is still hard to eat on time for now, but just trying to eat on time gives me better results. I also think schools and even governments should create some programs or campaigns about helping students learn about good eating habits. I have also learned the significance of planning this. Sometimes on weekends I make simple meals (boiled eggs or some fruit) so I have something to eat during the week. It helps to have something prepared during the week to also avoid missing meals because I was busy. I have also tried cooking with friends, and that makes eating less boring and more enjoyable. We cooked while telling each other funny stories. It is a good reminder that eating is not just eating, but eating with other people. I also learned that eating with other people helps me be an appropriate eater. For example, when I eat with a friend, I am less likely to skip that meal or eat inappropriate food. So these little things helped me realize that I can eat healthily if I consciously try to.
For me, through these experiences it brought valuable truths that food and nutrition are not only for filling our stomachs. I learned that food and nutrition are not only about filling our stomachs. Eating dinner with my family, and also my bad eating habits made me see how strongly food affects our lives. Food is said to keep the body strong, provide peace of mind, and act as a connecting force between individuals. A case in point is my story that shows how a few small ways of eating can make so much difference. Food is, therefore, one of the most important balancing points in our life. As we continue to evolve, it’s my goal to keep progressing in my habits and not fall back onto my previous unhealthy habits. I hope that the takeaways I experienced allow other students to learn from them and also see the importance of caring about food and nutrition. It’s not just about the meals we eat today, but about the type of life we create for our future. How we nourish ourselves today will determine how strong, focused, and connected we are tomorrow.
By: Stella Kim
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