“Relationship: noun; the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.”

We all have a unique relationship with food and we’re all intrinsically connected to food. After all, we need food to survive… but eating is so much more than just a survival mechanism. We eat when we celebrate, we eat when we mourn, we eat when we’re stressed, we eat when we’re happy. And if you’ve done, or even thought about doing, Prescribe 20 or any other nutrition program or diet, you’ve probably used food to calm your nerves, ease your mind, soothe your feelings, bond with others, feel more in control, feel less in control, and so many more reasons. The fact of the matter is, when it comes to our relationship with food, it’s complicated.

Over the years, each member of our PN team has embarked on her own food journey to explore healing and gain a deeper sense of self. Some of us have recruited the help of experts like therapists, shamans, and other healers, and some of us have preferred a more independent route of healing through practices like meditation, prayer, and journaling. It’s a challenging, often uncomfortable, journey but mostly it’s been powerful and amazing. Along the way, we’ve learned so much about ourselves and, ultimately, our own journeys have led us to help YOU on your journey. And if we’ve learned anything along the way it’s to own your story – the good, the bad, the downright ugly, and everything in between.

Your food story is personal, unique, empowering, and may even be a little surprising. Food can be nourishment, medicine, joyful, complex, confusing, shame-filled, and so much more. In fact, it can even be all of these things.

We think taking the time to write and identify your food story can help you better understand your unique relationship to food. It may shed light on things you haven’t quite been able to pinpoint yet, and perhaps even provide some healing. We’ve put together a simple journaling exercise to help guide you through your own food journey, to empower you to take ownership of your story, and to give you authorship of the next chapters.

There’s no right way to do this, so just start by letting your thoughts and ideas flow. It might take you 15 minutes or you may choose to revisit each question a few times over the next few weeks – it’s different for everyone. We just want to start the conversation. So grab a journal and a pen, light a candle, find some quiet, and let the self-exploration begin.

• What are your earliest memories of food?
• What was your relationship like with food as a young child (earliest memories)?
• What was your relationship like with food as a teen?
• What was your relationship like with food as a young adult?
• What is your relationship like with food as an adult?
• If there were any significant changes, can you pinpoint what could have been the catalyst?
• Are there any healthy habits or nutrition habits you don’t think actually improve your well being?
• What is your ultimate goal?

When we own our story it also gives us the power to be the author of our own story. It allows us to be present and make decisions mindfully that are in line with our goals rather than letting life “happen” and wondering how we ended up where we are. There is profound healing in knowing, accepting, and appreciating the journeys that led us to where we are. And there’s immense hope in anticipating the journey – your journey – that lies ahead.