When I think about the commercials in the 50s, I remember seeing eating, drinking, and pushing down emotions.
We're almost conditioned with the way the media portrays stress—that when you feel a certain way, the thing to do is to reach for a substance. It's not to go out for a walk and control ourselves or to get some personal mastery.
I usually share this story of how certain types of food remind me of my parents.
Whenever I eat potato chips, I think about my dad. I have a really strong memory of him slicing potatoes, putting salt on them, and eating them raw. With my mom it's her in one of those square pants while she made brownies, and me eating the corners.
When I choose to eat potato chips, I always have to step back and be the observer and say, "Okay, well, what is this? Am I missing my dad who passed away in 2017 or am I really enjoying the crunch?"
I always want to be cognizant of that, because of the ripple effect.
Because when we identify the emotions associated with whatever we do, we get to talk about it, understand where it came from, and see how it affects our personal mastery and relationships.
It's a ripple effect that women in the Menopause Movement experience that results to improved relationships and feeling better overall.
In today's episode of The Best of The Menopause Movement Podcast, I'm with a professional chef who created menopause-friendly recipes with me, Cassandra Cotoia.
During the podcast we discuss food and emotions, chefs, cooking, eating for herself PLUS: