by Barbara Garcia

Created on: January 18, 2010

As I take a look back on my life, my youthful years, I stop and think, what comfort food means to me. Comfort foods are foods that are emotionally significant to a person. Sometimes we use them as a way to reward ourselves for something we have done or achieved. Sometimes we use it as a way of calming ourselves when we are upset, or sad, when we feel hurt or pain. We sometimes use it to try and forget the things that dwell on our minds and hearts. Whatever the case maybe, it simply does what it says...comforts.

There are different types of foods that one eats for comfort. Just depends on what you like. Pizza, ice cream, donuts, cakes, pies, cookies are just a few of them. As I reflect back, my comfort food of choice was, vanilla ice cream with Oreo cookies crumbled up in it, and a Pepsi poured over that. I called it a Oreo Cookie Float. Wow was it good. I always wanted it when I was extremely happy about something. Or really excited about something.

I remember I applied for my very first job at a restaurant. The manager said she was taking applications cause someone was going to be leaving soon. She told me to check back with her in a couple of days. I was so excited. I did just what she said in two days I called and I got the job. When I finished talking to her, I was so happy I went straight to the kitchen and started to prepare my Oreo cookie float. I needed it to help calm me down. I was seventeen, and now I had my first job. I was on top of the world.

Now not everyone eats there comfort foods when happy. Some eat when they are hurting about something, or feeling sad. Sometimes when they are depressed or just have low self esteem. Those chips, or donuts, or cookies seem to help them. But as time moves along, and we grow older and become more mature, we learn that eating all these comfort foods, for whatever the reason maybe, is just not good for us. It can and has caused many problems to arise in many of us. Different illnesses will occur as well as obesity, which is linked to many very deadly illnesses. Reflecting on that statement along tells me that we need to find other ways of dealing with our emotions. Leave the comfort foods alone, and let's get healthy.

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