woman eating appleBesides breathing and sleeping, eating is life's most vital activity. We cannot sustain ourselves without eating. But we seem to have forgotten this, spending very few hours (or even minutes) gathering, preparing, and eating food. As Jon Kabat Zinn, psychologist and author of multiple books on mindfulness, says,

"For the most part, we eat with great automaticity and little insight into its critical importance for us in sustaining life and also in sustaining health."

Food gives us energy, and allows us to think, move, and prosper. But we are no longer attentive to the impact of food on our functioning. Our food preferences and choices are now influenced more by food companies, ad campaigns, and the notion that "faster is better." We don't always (or perhaps even often) pick foods based on what our bodies need for optimal wellness.

Our busy lives and stress prevent us from taking the time to really nourish body and soul. We eat for convenience, not health.