Primary & Secondary Foods #81

Sometimes we get so focused on what’s on our plate…

That we forget to pay attention to what’s going on off the plate.

We meticulously plan our meals. Count macros. Buy the best ingredients. And yet, something still feels off.

Maybe we’re tired, stressed, or stuck. It’s more common than you might think.

That’s where the concept of Primary and Secondary Foods comes in—an idea inspired by Integrative Nutrition (though I’ve changed it up a bit).

Primary Food is what you’d expect: the food we eat. It provides physical nourishment—fuel for our body.

But Secondary Food—that’s where things get interesting. Secondary food is everything else that feeds you: Your movement. Your rest. Your relationships. Your purpose. Your mindset.

And… sometimes, it’s not the food that’s the problem.

It’s the stress from your job. The tension in your relationships. The negative self-talk. The fact that you haven’t moved your body or taken a real breath all day.

When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol and other hormones that change how we digest and interact with food.

Even the healthiest meal can feel like a burden to a body stuck in fight-or-flight.

But when we nourish our whole life—when we move with joy, sleep deeply, love fully, and breathe intentionally—everything begins to shift.

Digestion improves. Energy rises. The body begins to heal.

So instead of obsessing over every bite, zoom out. See the bigger picture. Primary food and secondary food both matter. They work together. They amplify each other.

And every time you nourish one of those areas—whether it’s a nutrient-dense meal, a heartfelt hug, a walk in the woods, a deep work time block, or some big belly laughs— you’re feeding your body, mind, and heart with powerful life force energy.

This is how we cultivate a heroically nourished life, one intentional choice at a time.

Let’s eat well. Live fully. And remember…

We are being fed in more ways than one.