The Nutritional Value of Other People

Oftentimes, when it comes to good nutrition and healthy eating, we assume that all the work rests on us to make the right choices to eat the best foods, and that it’s all about our own individual efforts. Of course, this is true – but only to a degree. Great nutrition is also about how other people can contribute to your nutritional world, how they inspire you, support you, share similar health values, and mentor you with good insights and feedback – we could call this “social nutrition”. If you’d like help in following a healthy way to eat, and are ready to “effort” a lot less, then please check out this informative video from IPEtv. Emily Rosen, Director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, delivers some great insights on the value that others can provide us in both nutritional and emotional ways.

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Here is a transcript of this week’s video:

Hi, I’m Emily Rosen, Director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating.

Today’s Topic: The Nutritional Value of Other People

As someone who’s made it my life’s mission to deeply and fully explore the topics of nutrition and eating psychology, one of the things I love to do most is to expand our understanding of what nutrition really is. I love making connections that make a difference. I love finding new strategies, new understandings, and simple, effective tweaks that can make a powerful difference in nutritional metabolism and our relationship with food.

So in the interest of seeing what else can truly nourish us, it seems fitting that we look at the nutritional value of people. In particular, I’m thinking of the nutritional value of other people – meaning, everyone else in your life. If you have an interest in good nutrition, good health, and smart eating psychology, then you’ve probably experimented with different diets, supplements, and strategies. This is a good thing. Congratulations.

But don’t overlook the nutritional value of others.

I’m going to present to you in 5 minutes or less – 4 ways that other people can help us boost our nutritional and our emotional metabolism.

Here’s what I mean:

#1 – We need the help of others who can provide a balance of information – and wisdom.

By necessity, we rely on others, especially experts, who can give us access to nutritional information, up-to-date ideas and breakthroughs, and strategies that can help us further the action. Many of us have our favorite experts who provide us with such information. Here’s the challenge: we have a huge abundance of nutrition information, and there’s a big deficiency in nutritional wisdom. When I say nutritional wisdom, I mean the kinds of voices that help us navigate all the different and conflicting approaches, the kind of wisdom that helps us look at food, health, and life with more love and consciousness, and the kind of wisdom that brings out the best in us – as opposed to nutritional advice that might leave us with a lot of fear, guilt, stress, or anxiety about what we’re doing wrong. Find the voices of wisdom in this realm, and your nutritional life will be a lot happier.

#2 – We need help sometimes – especially honest feedback, caring support, or skillful advice.

Despite the fact that we have all kinds of access via the Internet to amazing information, sometimes, we simply need some direct one-on-one help – meaning coaching, counseling, and some good nutritional advice. We can’t always do it alone. That’s why there are so many practitioners exploding onto the scene. We need to help one another. And that help is best given with honesty, some love, and some skill. The days of being a superhero or a lone cowboy or cowgirl – are over. It’s okay to need help. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to pay for help. It’s a smart nutritional strategy.

#3 – We need good conscious company – friends who have a good relationship with food.

Many of us who have a challenging relationship with food end up hanging out and socializing with friends who are constantly dieting, who judge their own bodies, who are critical of others, who are focused on shallow goals, and who don’t uplift us. One of the great ways to improve your health and to have a happy relationship with food is to hang around people who are very conscientiously moving in that same direction. I’m talking about people who are positive, kind, low on gossip and high on praise. I’m talking about people who truly add to our life. We absorb the energies of people around us. Make sure the people around you are the equivalent of health food, as opposed to junk food.

#4 – We need mentors.

Mentors are people in our lives who are teachers, guides, coaches, cheerleaders – someone who’s further along the road of life than we are, who has more experience under their belt, and who is dedicated to uplifting others. A mentor can be someone with whom you have direct contact, and who willingly functions in that role. A mentor can also be someone who you’ve never met but you read their books or watch their videos and you’re deeply inspired by them from afar. Mentors are people who uplift us in heart, mind, and soul. Whereas a good coach could be considered health food, a mentor is like a superfood.

I hope you’re more inspired about the nutritional value of others.