Hello there! How are you?

I was thinking …I wonder how aware we are of the associations that we make in life with food and drink? Sometimes you could call them habits… but they are stemmed from associations that our brains are making with an activity…. For example, waking up in the morning and going straight for the coffee (or tea). We think we need the caffeine to wake up- but if we have to quit caffeine for some reason- (after the initial withdrawal headaches and grumpiness), we will probably be quite awake by the time we down a tall glass of water instead of the coffee.

I see it in my kids- in the past for one of them, it was: switch on the tv and grab a snack. Thankfully after moving, we have had a “no snacking downstairs” rule (which I discovered was broken yesterday when I was out grrrr….), but that has helped break that association.

Another one I see, when the “internet time” is shut off, the first response is to go into the kitchen and open the cabinets and fridge.

For me, one I noticed in me was that I pick on food while chatting on the phone- and what happens then?… it is not mindful eating- so anything goes…

Or even now- when I sit down to work, I associate it with having a nice hot drink- but I have to stop and ask myself the question “Do I even want a cup of tea?- or do I assume should be getting myself one because I am sitting down in the morning at my computer?”

How about the associations like the idea of comfort food? When feeling down or unwell, we want to eat some of those foods that we may have grown up with, or that our mum might have made for us at those times.

Or having certain foods or drinks when with specific friends.

Or when you smell a certain food, it reminds you of someone, or a specific time or occasion in your life?

Or having hot samosas or blueberry muffins while sitting on the couch with a blanket and book on a cold rainy Saturday… (Anyone?!!!)

I bring this up because I have seen how these associations have negatively affected people I have worked with. For example a gentleman I worked with would eat carefully through the day, take the effort to exercise regularly, but could not shed some weight he wanted to. He talked about how, after dinner, after the kids go to bed, he would sit down on a particular chair and enjoy a hearty snack. I actually came across that multiple times. Late night watching tv and eating chips- after really being mindful and intentional all day…These dear people were sabotaging the efforts they were taking to take care of themselves all day.

Associations… they can be powerful and we may not even realize their effect in our lives.

They need not be a bad thing. They really can create a warm, fuzzy feeling.

And of course the idea of associations can be channeled to create positive patterns of behavior in our lives.

However, there may be some that are interfering with what we really want for ourselves.

How about you? Can you think of some associations that you have with food or drinks?

If you think about it, are they in line with your wellness goals?