🍽️ Why Do We Really Eat? Understanding Food Beyond Just Hunger and Pleasure
Let’s be real — we eat for all kinds of reasons: taste, habits, stress, boredom, cravings, culture, or just because it’s 2 PM and someone asked, “What’s for lunch?”
But have you ever paused and asked: Why do I actually eat? What am I feeding — hunger or function?
In a world that rewards convenience over care, that’s a question worth answering.
🧠 Why Do We Eat? The Foundation of All Bodily Function
The simple, profound answer? To survive, function, and thrive.
Food is not merely fuel; it is the fundamental source of every single function within your body. From the intricate dance of cellular repair and energy production to the complex symphony of hormone regulation, immune defense, and even the clarity of your thoughts – food provides the raw materials and signals for everything to work in harmony.
This intricate balance within your body is known as homeostasis. When your diet provides the right building blocks and signals, your body maintains this internal equilibrium, keeping all systems running smoothly.
The problem is, when your meals are missing key nutrients or filled with the wrong things, your body struggles to stay balanced. You may not notice anything right away, but over time, the lack of proper fuel and ongoing stress can wear you down — leading to low energy, brain fog, and constant cravings.
🍔 What Are We Actually Eating Right Now (Be Honest)
Let’s not sugarcoat it (pun intended). Most people today are eating:
- Convenience-first meals that come in a package or arrive at your door, prioritising shelf life and taste over nutrition.
- Ultra-processed snacks grabbed between calls, at parties, or during dine-outs are often loaded with sugar, seed oils, and empty calories.
- Random breakfasts (or none at all), setting you up for energy crashes and poor food choices later.
- Dinner takeout, because cooking after a long day feels like too much, often ending in calorie-dense, nutrient-poor meals.
- Even home-cooked meals that are mostly refined carbs, with little protein, fibre, or veggies, still leave your body off balance.
This isn’t just about what we’re missing; it’s also about the excess of foods that work against us. We’re consuming too much sugar, unhealthy fats (samosas, pakoras, think anything deep-fried), and refined grains (white rice, maida, biscuits, chats) that actively disrupt our body’s natural balance.
And then we wonder why we feel low on energy, bloated, moody, or constantly hungry. The truth? We’ve made food reactive instead of intentional. And that, my friend, comes with a serious cost — one that often shows up as chronic metabolic issues like weight gain, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, hormonal imbalances, and even fatty liver disease.
📉 The Hidden Cost of Eating Imbalanced Meals: Disrupting Homeostasis
This isn’t about “good” vs. “bad” food — it’s about the nutrient gaps and the overload of detrimental components that accumulate silently, ultimately disrupting your body’s homeostasis. When this internal balance is not met, we become susceptible to both acute and chronic diseases.
Consider these alarming stats, especially relevant here in India:
- Over 70% of Indians don’t meet their daily protein needs.
- Micronutrient deficiencies (like Vitamin D, B12, and iron) are rampant, even in urban, “healthy eating” populations.
- A 2020 study showed that over 1 in 2 Indians are either overweight, diabetic, or pre-diabetic — and diet is the biggest factor.
- 90% of what most people eat comes from just 5-7 food ingredients (mostly rice, wheat, sugar, oil, and dairy), leading to a narrow and often imbalanced nutrient profile.
So, what’s the result of this imbalance and excess?
- You’re tired even after eating because your cells aren’t properly fueled, and your blood sugar is on a roller coaster.
- You’re bloated, foggy, moody, or just not feeling right – often signs of an unhappy gut, inflammation, or hormonal imbalance, indicating that homeostasis is failing.
- You’re gaining fat while still undernourished, as your body struggles to use nutrients effectively and stores excess calories from unbalanced foods.
- You’re losing muscle and energy over time, accelerating the aging process and weakening your metabolic health.
When homeostasis is consistently disrupted by poor dietary choices, your body’s systems struggle. This makes you more vulnerable to:
- Acute issues: Frequent colds, indigestion, skin breakouts, sudden energy crashes, and increased irritability.
- Chronic diseases: Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, obesity, hormonal disorders (like PCOS, thyroid dysfunction), certain cancers, and even autoimmune conditions.
💡 Think of Food as Medicine and Not Just Comfort
Yes, food should taste good. Yes, it should be comforting. But above all, food should serve your body first.
Eat to function, then flavor. That’s the sweet spot where health and enjoyment truly meet.
You don’t need a fancy, restrictive diet. You need balance, clarity, and consistency.
Let’s break it down simply 👇
🔑 The 3 Pillars of Food: Your Daily Nutritional Framework
These are your macros — your main energy and repair units. Skipping or overdoing any one of these creates an imbalance that your body will definitely feel, directly impacting its ability to maintain homeostasis.
And let’s be real — when you truly understand why you need each of these, you stop skipping them. You start building your meals around them, not leaving them to chance.
1️⃣ Protein – Your Body’s Repair System
What it is: Protein isn’t just for gym enthusiasts; it’s literally the building block for everything in your body. This includes your muscles, bones, skin, hair, hormones, enzymes, and even your immune cells. Without enough protein, your body starts breaking down its own tissues just to survive and keep vital functions running, directly impacting cellular repair and overall structural integrity.
Why it matters:
- Keeps you full longer and reduces cravings, helping to prevent overeating or poor snack choices.
- Supports muscle maintenance, which is especially important as we age to prevent sarcopenia (muscle loss).
- Crucial for immunity, low protein can lead to poor healing, frequent illness, and a weakened immune response.
- Stabilizes blood sugar, preventing drastic spikes and crashes, thus maintaining consistent energy levels and mood.
What happens when you skip it: You’ll likely feel tired, recover slower from activity, get hungry faster, and even lose muscle instead of fat when trying to manage weight. This directly impacts your body’s ability to repair and rebuild, leading to systemic weakness.
How to get it daily: ✔️ Eggs, paneer, curd, chicken, fish, dals + rice, sprouts, tofu, whey protein.
📝 Tip: A toast or idli breakfast may be filling, but it’s not fueling your body adequately. Add curd, eggs, or paneer to complete the meal and ensure you start your day with sufficient protein.
2️⃣ Carbs – Your Body’s Primary Fuel
What it is: Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of fuel, especially for your brain, muscles, and thyroid. They’re not the enemy; it’s the type and quantity that truly matter. Complex, fiber-rich carbs are digested slowly, providing sustained energy, whereas refined carbs cause rapid spikes.
Why it matters:
- Provides quick and sustained energy for your daily activities and critical organ functions.
- Fuels your brain, essential for cognitive function; low carbs can lead to brain fog and irritability.
- Supports thyroid and hormone function, which is particularly important for metabolic health and women’s overall well-being.
- Aids in post-workout recovery, replenishing muscle glycogen stores for subsequent activity.
What happens when you skip or overdo it: Too little can lead to cravings, fatigue, and poor sleep, as your body struggles for its preferred energy source. Too much processed sugar and refined carbs, however, can result in weight gain, chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
How to get it daily: Choose complex carbs: brown rice, millets, fruits, oats, root veggies (like sweet potato). Avoid relying only on white bread, biscuits, or sugar-heavy cereals, which offer little nutritional value and often lead to imbalances.
📝 Tip: If your lunch is just roti + sabzi or a sandwich, you may be missing vital fiber and micronutrients. Add a raw salad or a piece of fruit to balance it out and enhance the nutritional profile.
3️⃣ Fats – Your Hormonal Backbone
What it is: Fats are absolutely essential for hormone production, robust brain function, nerve health, and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). They also make food satisfying and help you feel full longer. They play a critical role in cellular integrity and signaling.
Why it matters:
- Supports hormonal balance (especially crucial for women’s menstrual, thyroid, and stress hormones like cortisol).
- Aids in absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are vital for vision, bone health, immunity, and blood clotting.
- Reduces inflammation throughout the body and supports joint health, crucial for pain management and mobility.
- Boosts mental clarity and focus, as your brain is largely made of healthy fats.
- Slows down digestion, contributing to longer satiety and more stable blood sugar levels.
What happens when you skip it: You can experience hormonal imbalances, dry skin, brain fog, mood swings, and low energy — even if you’re otherwise eating “clean.” Diets that cut all fats often lead to extreme cravings, mood crashes, and burnout, as the body struggles to perform essential functions without this vital macro.
How to get it daily: Ghee, nuts, seeds, coconut, olive oil, avocados.
📝 Tip: Healthy fat is your friend. Add a thumb-sized portion to each meal to ensure satiety and support these crucial bodily functions. Prioritise healthy, unprocessed fats over trans fats and excessive amounts of highly processed seed oils.
🌱 Supporting Pillars: Micros, Fiber & Hydration
These are often missed, but they’re vital to feeling and functioning well. Your macros build the house, but your micros and fiber keep it perfectly functioning, and hydration is the foundation upon which everything else operates.
4️⃣ Micronutrients — The Spark Plugs of Your Body
What it is: Micros = vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — small but mighty nutrients that keep your major systems working efficiently. They don’t provide calories directly, but they are what make your food actually work inside your body, powering countless biochemical reactions essential for life.
Why it matters: Without enough micronutrients, you can eat a full plate of food and still feel exhausted, bloated, or sick. They power:
- Energy production at the cellular level
- Robust hormonal balance
- Sharp mental focus and cognitive function
- Efficient cell repair and strong immunity
- Optimal digestion and detoxification processes
What happens when you skip them: Low energy, poor skin and hair health, weak immunity, sluggish digestion, and persistent brain fog — all while seemingly eating “enough.” Common deficiencies like iron can lead to anemia, B12/B9 imbalances impact nerve function and mood, and low Vitamin D often results in poor calcium absorption and weakened bones. This is often the silent reason for chronic fatigue and a general feeling of “blah.”
How to get them daily:
- Add 2-3 colours to your plate daily (think a variety of vibrant veggies and fruits, herbs).
- Sprinkle seeds (like chia, flax, pumpkin) on curd, sabzis, or smoothies for an extra boost.
- Rotate your veggies — don’t eat the same 3 every day to ensure a wide spectrum of nutrients.
📝 Tip: Eating dal + rice every day is fine — but pair it with cooked veggies, fresh coriander, and a squeeze of lemon for that essential micronutrient boost. Variety is key!
5️⃣ Fiber — Your Gut’s Personal Trainer
What it is: Fiber is the indigestible part of plant food that your body can’t break down, but your beneficial gut bacteria absolutely thrive on it. It’s crucial for digestive health and so much more. It comes in two primary forms:
- Soluble fiber: Dissolves in water to form a gel, which slows digestion, helps stabilize blood sugar, and can lower cholesterol (e.g., oats, flax seeds, apples, citrus fruits).
- Insoluble fiber: Adds bulk to your stool, keeps things moving through your digestive tract, and prevents constipation (e.g., vegetables, whole grains, seeds, bran).
Why it matters:
- Nourishes your gut microbiome (the “good” bacteria), which is central to immunity, nutrient absorption, and even mood regulation (the gut-brain axis).
- Helps with efficient digestion and detoxification, ensuring waste is properly eliminated from the body.
- Lowers cholesterol and helps manage blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of metabolic diseases.
- Keeps you full longer, stabilizing energy and mood by preventing rapid sugar spikes and crashes.
- Supports overall immunity, mental health, and hormone detoxification processes.
What happens when you skip it: If your meals are only carbs and protein with zero roughage, your gut struggles silently. This can lead to constipation, bloating, an imbalanced gut microbiome, and even increased inflammation throughout the body. Make a conscious effort to fix your fiber intake, and you’ll likely fix your digestion and overall well-being.
How to get it daily:
- Raw veggies, whole fruits (not just juices), millets, dal, seeds, and sprouts are excellent sources.
- Aim for 25–35g/day from a variety of sources to get both soluble and insoluble types.
🤯 Everyday Example: The Lunch Dilemma & Its Consequences
We’ve all been there:
- It’s 2 PM, and you’re absolutely starving.
- You didn’t plan lunch, or you’re stuck at your desk, short on time.
- You instinctively reach for something quick — perhaps a sandwich, maybe a rice bowl from a delivery app with minimal protein, unhealthy fats, or fiber.
- It fills you up for 30 minutes, but you crash by 4 PM, feeling sluggish and unfocused.
- You’re hungry again by 6 PM, irritable, and reaching for whatever processed snacks are closest, perpetuating a cycle of imbalance.
That’s what happens when meals lack proper balance and are chosen out of reaction rather than intention. This cycle perpetuates low energy, intense cravings, and a reliance on quick fixes that don’t truly nourish your body or support its natural homeostasis.
🔍 Understanding What to Eat & How Much Changes Everything
When you start thinking in terms of these pillars — protein, carbs, healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients — you stop guessing. You gain the clarity to make intentional choices.
- You don’t have to eliminate entire food groups.
- You just need to balance them effectively to support your body’s needs.
- You don’t need a perfect diet.
- You need a repeatable framework that works for your life and helps maintain your internal balance.
👣 Still Don’t Know Where to Start? Try This 👇
You don’t need a perfect diet — you just need a plan. Start with these simple, actionable steps:
- Add 1 source of protein to each meal. Make it non-negotiable for satiety and repair.
- Include at least 2 colors of vegetables daily. The more vibrant, the better for micronutrients.
- Choose one whole carb over processed. Opt for brown rice over white bread sometimes, or a millet over refined flour.
- Add a spoon of ghee or a small mix of nuts for healthy fats to support hormones and satiety.
- Swap one ultra-processed item for real food (e.g., a piece of fruit instead of biscuits, homemade snack over packaged).
- Plan one meal the night before to avoid last-minute, reactive ordering and ensure better choices.
- Track how you feel, not just how you look. Pay attention to your energy, mood, and digestion.
🎯 Finding Your Why: Eating Healthy in a World of Noise
Food marketing is loud. Cravings are loud. But you know what’s louder?
The feeling of finally having consistent energy, clear focus, smooth digestion, and peace of mind again. It’s the feeling of your body thriving, not just surviving.
Eat for how you want to feel — not just what you want to taste.
Food should still bring joy. But when you flip the order — fuel first, then pleasure — your body thanks you in ways that go far beyond the mirror. Your body is giving you feedback every single day; you just have to learn to listen to its signals.
🛠️ Your Action Plan: Make Food Work for You (Not Against You)
We don’t always rise to the level of our motivation. We often fall to the level of our preparation.
Here’s how to keep it sustainable and make nutrition convenient, not complicated:
- Meal prep basic protein (boiled eggs, cooked dal, paneer) that can be easily added to any meal.
- Wash and chop veggies ahead of time so they’re ready for quick stir-fries or salads.
- Keep quick, healthy snacks like curd, fruits, and a mix of seeds readily available.
- Create a repeatable 2–3 meal template for your busiest days to reduce decision fatigue.
- Stop “winging it” for every meal — that’s when nutrient-poor, processed junk sneaks in and throws your body off balance.
- Remember: You don’t need to eat less. You need to eat smarter. Choose whole foods over fast foods; real food doesn’t have an ingredients list a mile long.
You don’t need a nutritionist forever. You just need to learn what your body actually runs on — and how to build meals that give it what it needs, not just fill a temporary hunger.
🙌 Final Words
Food is not the enemy. It’s your daily opportunity to heal, energize, and protect your body. It’s the core input for maintaining your body’s incredible ability to stay in balance.
So next time you ask “What should I eat?” Ask: “What do I want this food to do for me?”
Let’s simplify nutrition — and finally make it work long-term.
By Sumanth
Nutritionist | Functional Medicine Practitioner | NASM CPT