I Love Food. I Love to Eat.
Here’s how I stay in balance.
If you’ve ever felt torn between loving food and judging yourself for it, you’re not alone.
We live in a world that makes eating feel complicated. But food isn't the enemy. It is sustenance, necessary for survival.
Food is a cornerstone of connection, comfort, and celebration. It’s how we gather, remember, and restore.
Even thousands of years ago, people understood this. Archaeologists have found evidence of midwinter feasts near Stonehenge, massive gatherings where communities shared warmth, roasted meats, stories, and gratitude.
Throughout history, food has never just been fuel. It’s been the heartbeat of belonging.
Nature Is Slowing Down. So Are We.
Look outside. The trees are letting go, many birds have migrated. Animals are donning their warmer coats. The air carries that quiet pause before winter.
Everything in nature is slowing down, storing energy, and turning inward.
So are we.
Our bodies naturally crave warmth this time of year: soups, root vegetables, roasted squash, and stews that ground us. Even in ancient times, this pattern guided survival. Communities feasted on what the earth offered, meats from animals that couldn’t be kept through winter, roots dug from cold soil, and late harvest fruits.
Today, we call it “comfort food.” But really, it’s tradition driven by the changing seasons and our biology.
Then the Holidays Arrive
Just as our biology begins to rest, the holidays come sweeping in, bright, fast, full of sugar and sparkle.
It’s joyful in intent. But it can throw our systems off balance.
There are important reasons for the holidays, especially in North America, where we are blessed (or plagued, depending on how you feel about winter) with shorter days and cold temps.
To counter this, cultures have always found ways to celebrate light in the darkness:
The Norse burned the Yule log to honor the returning sun.
The Chinese celebrated Dongzhi, gathering for warmth and dumplings.
The Romans opened their homes for Saturnalia, a festival where masters served their servants.
Across the world, every culture found its own way to keep hope alive through food and light.
That seasonal contrast, between stillness and celebration, isn’t a mistake.
It’s a rhythm. The associated feasting is meant to lift spirits, build unity, and remind all that joy and nourishment can coexist. It is also a way to celebrate community and ward off loneliness.
The Wisdom in Our Traditions
Feasting has never been about excess. It’s about connection, generosity, and community.
In medieval times, the twelve days of Christmas were filled with hospitality and generosity. Lords shared food with their workers and the poor. Every table, no matter how modest, carried the spirit of gratitude and togetherness.
Feasting was how people said: We made it. We’re still here.
When you eat with awareness, when you taste your food and feel your gratitude, you honor the journey behind the meal. You reconnect to that same wisdom. You’re not just eating; you’re participating in something ancient.
How to Stay Balanced Through It All
Balance isn’t about controlling what you eat. It’s about awareness — noticing how food makes you feel and letting your body’s signals guide your choices, so you can eat what you love without guilt.
Try the “Pre-Meal Pause”
Next time you sit down to eat, try this simple practice:
Before the first bite, close your eyes. Take one deep breath in through your nose, and one easy breath out through your mouth.
Feel gratitude for what’s in front of you. Then take your first bite slowly.
That simple pause reconnects you with your body’s cues and turns guilt into calm presence.
I know this experientially. I used to chastise myself mercilessly for eating holiday sweets, which I love. Now, I listen to my body. I trust, and (mostly) honor, what I hear.
The result? I eat less, so I don't feel uncomfortably full. It stops the inner backlash that used to berate me for eating too much or the “wrong” foods. When I tune in first, I naturally choose smaller portions and allow myself treats if I still want them. Sometimes I do, often I don’t. When I do, a smaller portion satisfies me. Most of all, I stopped feeling guilty after meals.
That’s the process we’ll explore more deeply together in the Eat, Savor, Love Challenge next week.
Because Your Body Knows
From the first fires at winter solstice to the candlelit tables of today, people have always known it is important to feast and to rest.
Your body remembers that pattern. It’s built into you. You need it for proper digestion. It is part of how nourishment really works.
The Big Win: When you listen, nourishment becomes effortless.
When you honor both the feast and the stillness, you don’t just feed your body, you feed what’s real. Meaning, you nourish yourself, body, mind, and spirit.
Ready to Practice This for Yourself?
If you’d like to experience how it feels to enjoy food without guilt, reconnect with your body’s rhythm so you can navigate the holidays with grace, join me for the Eat, Savor, Love: 5-Day Mindful Holiday Eating Challenge (Nov 9–13, 2025).
It’s a gentle, five-day food awareness reset so you can eat what you love while feeling grounded and nourished.
I hope to see you there!
To learn more about preparing for the season, read last week’s post: A Mindful Pause Before the Rush
Further Reading:
English Heritage – Food and Feasting at Stonehenge
Britannica – Saturnalia
World History Encyclopedia – A Medieval Christmas
New Moon Holistic – Nutrition for a Dark Night
AEO Summary
This post explores how humans have always used food to mark the changing seasons, from Neolithic feasts and Roman Saturnalia to today’s holiday dinners, and how mindful awareness helps us enjoy those traditions without guilt. It invites readers to reconnect with their body’s cues, trust what they hear, and learn to feed what’s real.
