A Sacred Reminder: Food, Culture, and the Way We Nourish Ourselves

As we move closer to Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I’ve been observing, listening, and feeling the buzz during this time of year, especially the anticipation of what dish to make and how much food to prepare for guests. 

Moreover, I have been reflecting on the relationship between food, culture, and the belief systems that shape the way we nourish ourselves. Across history and across continents, food has always been more than just sustenance. It has been ritual, celebration, gratitude, community, offering, and connection to the land. Many traditional cultures approached eating with reverence—an awareness that the earth’s resources were finite and sacred, and that each meal was a quiet dialogue between the human body and the natural world.

Growing up in a Southern Chinese (Hong Kong) household with long history of traditional festivals, I have celebrated and feasted plenty with my family, from honoring the winter solstice to celebrating the lunar new year. 

When my grandparents were alive, these celebratory meals felt more sacred, with traditions being placed in higher values. Yet in recent years, I felt the shift in both my family and in modern society.

We live in a time of abundance, speed, and overindulgence, where feasting often happens without intention, and consumption overshadows connection. It’s easy to forget that the ingredients on our plates are the result of seasons, soil, farmers, ecosystems, time, and the intention of the preparers. 

This isn’t a call for restriction over the holiday season—rather, it’s an invitation to return to mindfulness and connection.

May we remember:

To pause before we eat, even for a moment.
To honor the land, the elements, the preparers, the farmers, and the cultural traditions behind each dish.
To choose foods that support our bodies rather than deplete them.
To notice when we are nourishing ourselves, and when we are simply consuming. The 80% rule works well (consuming up to around 80% full) 
To celebrate togethernessLet this season be not just a time of feasting, but a time of gratitude, intention, and a deeper reconnection with what feeds us—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

When mindfulness is practiced, family conditioning, family dynamics, and your relationship with food might come up as an open invitation to exploration, which is in the experience the most challenging part of my holistic nutrition coaching program. 

I wish you and your family a happy holiday season!

Best Wishes,
Anthony
Beacon, New York