NIH Wellbeing Coordinator Explores How Food Connects Us
Our shared human experience begins with our connection to food, uniting us through a fundamental need for nourishment and nurture. This year’s National Nutrition Month theme, “Food Connects Us,” speaks to this awareness.
National Nutrition Month began in 1973 as National Nutrition Week, and it became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing interest in nutrition. Every year, in March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recognizes the continued importance of food as a central component of our health.
We are all intertwined through food from the beginning to the end of life. From cultivation, production, distribution and consumption, the food chain within our life cycles reflects our deep interdependence on one another biologically, economically and importantly, socially.
Food is more than simply fuel to bridge the gap between waking up and going to sleep. It is a ritual, an experience, an opportunity for connection that brings people together in a collective wholeness. Whether nourishing an infant, having a meaningful conversation over coffee, hosting a family celebration, providing a comforting meal at the end of life, our reliance on one another for nutrition transcends the transactional experience; it reveals our innate reliance on human connection.
Studies have shown that social connection promotes health and well-being and can reduce the risk of various illnesses including heart disease, stroke, dementia and depression.
This March, as we reflect on our shared human experience around food, the invitation is to consider all the ways in which food connects us to one another and nurtures our collective well-being.
For ‘Food Connects Us’ resources, visit Recipes for Connection: https://bit.ly/4khXt1w and Wellness@NIH / Food & Nutrition: https://bit.ly/41CuYV9.
Jan Tortarella, NIH’s Wellness Program coordinator, is a registered dietitian.