I am what I feed myself with!
Feeding ourselves is essential, both physically and psychologically. What we choose to ingest affects not only our bodies but also our minds. To maximize the benefits, there’s a simple formula: know how to choose what is good for you!
1. Eating well starts with defining your goals
Connection to health: Eating well means paying attention to what truly benefits you rather than blindly following trends or advice. It’s about developing a new awareness of your body, listening to its signals, and noticing how different foods make you feel. Your food choices then become a test of how aligned your decisions are with your beliefs, worldview, and desire for healthy aging. Scientific research over the years gives us a fairly clear view of the benefits—or harms—of certain types of agriculture and livestock. This makes it easier to make informed choices when shopping, such as favoring organic products, as Carrefour has done with its “Act for Food” initiative.
Emotional and social connections: Especially in France, sharing a meal with a host signals a strong emotional bond. Having a particular diet often requires negotiating with your host or adapting to their preferences. That’s why I identify as a flexitarian—it allows me to navigate social meals without overexplaining my choices, a topic that can be quite divisive in France, the land of good food!
Connection to personal history: Think of Proust’s madeleine. Eating can evoke memories and reconnect us with childhood flavors, like a grandmother’s signature dishes. Personally, I had a hard time letting go of “œufs à la neige,” which, though heavy to digest, reminded me of a loving grandmother. Today, I’ve moved on—my current goal is long-term health and vitality.
Connection to addictions: Knowing that sugar addiction can rival or exceed cocaine addiction, I prefer not to be enslaved by my tastes, even at the cost of some pleasure. Aligning taste with values may be challenging but is incredibly powerful. I eat what I believe in, and I believe in what I eat!
Choosing to eat what’s good for you helps you understand your tastes, accept yourself, and act in your own best interest. For example, Jason Mraz credits healthier eating as a key factor in winning a Grammy, as he explains in a recent interview.
2. I am what I feed my mind with
Spending too much time in front of the TV, checking emails late at night, or spreading negative gossip about your company all feed your mind poorly. We process over 60,000 thoughts daily, most of them negative, focused on failures, delays, or to-do lists. To nourish your mind positively, free up mental space by allowing time to dream and feed your “dream machine.” Regularly giving yourself positive feedback is essential, and I encourage creating a small ritual: identify your three daily “joys.”
Another way to feed yourself with enriching thoughts is to dedicate time to reading, watching inspiring documentaries, or meeting passionate people. I’ve been fortunate to know Christophe Bichet, whose influence has nourished me for years. Recently, we began a life-coaching project focused on the person I want to be in 20 years—a project that’s helping me define my future direction.
Consider a reverse mentor—a younger person who can provide fresh perspectives. I schedule lunch with a reverse mentor at least once per quarter. These conversations challenge my assumptions and prevent me from becoming stuck in “it was easier before” thinking, helping me reinvent myself while appreciating the present.
3. Change is growth
When I decided to change my diet, I started by testing for food intolerances. The results led me to eliminate certain habitual foods and try alternatives, discovering new tastes in the process. Changing what you eat encourages curiosity and risk-taking—though I haven’t yet ventured into trying insects!
Curiosity is crucial in many professions, helping avoid stagnation. I recently tried EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to address past bullying. Just a few sessions replaced a defensive strategy of “aggressiveness equals strength” with a more effective, empowered approach suited to my role as a leadership coach.
Ultimately, we choose our future selves, the people we want to become, who will make us proud in front of our children. We can write letters to this future self, visualize them, and most importantly, feed them daily to enrich our personality today.