On Diets and Identity
Have you ever followed a diet together with a community of friends? Maybe you all agreed to cut out sugar for a week, or you’re trying a Dry January altogether. Perhaps you have found community through your diet—you went Paleo for awhile and enjoyed building connections with other Paleo people on Instagram. Or you’re vegan and, despite all the jokes lobbed at vegans, you’re grateful to be a part of something beyond yourself.
What is it about our diet that connects us with others? Why do we find it easier to eat in a certain manner when we do it with friends? And why does our diet become such a significant part of our identity? Most importantly: is this helpful or harmful for us?
These are the questions we explore in this episode on diets, identity, and belonging—and how we can create a more holistic relationship to community and food.
After you've listened to the episode, use these discussion questions to reflect further. Consider discussing them around the table with a friend or two.
When have you found belonging through food, whether the foods you eat or the foods you don’t eat? When has food been a source of exclusion?
Do you tend to treat food as a source of fuel, as something to quantify and control? Or do you feel the freedom to reject that approach? What would your daily life look like if you did?
Along with the Kitchen Meditations podcast, we send out a weekly newsletter called The Weekly Digest. It’s simple, consistent, and a great resource for Sunday reflections. We also include a free PDF download with the week’s prayer, discussion questions, and a unique seasonal recipe created by Kendall Vanderslice.
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