When starting a coaching session with a new client the first concept that I like to talk about it something called primary foods.  These are the areas in our lives that nourish our body on a different level than the foods that we put in our mouths.  Everyone can remember being a child and food just wasn’t important to us, we were too busy exploring this magical earth, outside playing with our friends, using our imaginations and food was just not a thought in our minds.  It was our mothers and care givers that had to actually remind us when it was time to eat.  The same concept also applies to adults when we are in love or enthralled in a project that we are just fixated and fascinated with.  I can remember being a teenager with my first love and life was so exciting, every color seemed brighter, every smell was more fragrant, the time spent talking to that special person was all that I could think about.  In those times I don’t even remember eating because I was so filled with joy, excitement and love that I was living off those feeling rather than food alone.  It is this lost excitement for life that we need to bring back to our own lives and the lives of others.  This is something that is intangible and difficult to describe but is very important to our overall health.  There are many different areas of our lives where primary food should be prioritized and we need to make time to fulfill this vital aspect of our lives.  A few areas of our lives that use primary foods are in our career, relationships, physical activity and maintaining and practicing a form of spirituality.  When we are not balanced in our lives it is then that we will have this imbalance and many times food becomes a crutch that we use to fill this void.  When our lives are balanced and we are fulfilling our requirements of primary foods, food itself becomes a secondary food. 

 Take a few moments to think about the balance of your life and any areas where you could use some special attention or an area where you are lacking balance.  After you have identified an imbalance make sure to take note of it and list some steps that you could follow to regain the balance in this area.  From there you can make a goal to reach to achieve your balance and then reevaluate your primary foods.  There is no time limit or rush to improve this balance; it is just something to keep in mind and to work toward.