Is food a fancy or a fuel?

I love food.

I love cooking. I love watching people cook - I love watching @masterchefuk, even though I don't eat many of the ingredients they use - I love the creativity, science and passion that goes into the dishes.

Lately I have had conversations where people have said, food is just a fuel or that we don't live to eat, we eat to live.

While I can appreciate that we need the basic macronutrients and micronutrients to help our body function properly, the process of eating is a much more sensual experience - especially if we consider that our digestion begins even before we put any food in our mouths. The smell of food stimulates our digestive enzymes and if I say sour lemons, does your mouth fill with saliva?

Viewing eating as a sensual process may help us to connect with our bodies, to eat more mindfully, to find deeper levels of creativity and joy, to find healing if our earlier experiences with food and eating were challenging. Food may also bring us closer to our loved ones as we share these experiences.

Is food a fancy or fuel for you?