In this warm, story-driven episode, Michelle shares how winter soup cravings led her to dust off the cookbooks she once boxed up on a coach’s orders to eliminate all “food porn.” She traces where the term came from, how restriction made food imagery feel dangerous, and what changed when she shifted to body trust. From Moroccan lentil soup to her grandmother’s church recipe books, Michelle makes the case that pleasure isn’t the enemy of health—restriction is—and that food can be inspiration, connection, and care.
You’ll hear about:
- The real origins of the term “food porn” and how diet culture twisted it into a warning label
- Why restriction (physical and mental) supercharges cravings and turns images into “triggers”
- The goal of food neutrality and how it restores genuine choice
- Pleasure as a health practice (hello, rest-and-digest), including the value of visual pleasure
- Reframing food imagery as food art / food joy / food inspiration
- Simple ways to re-engage safely: dust off a cookbook, watch a favorite cooking show, plan one cozy meal
- A personal story about reconnecting with family through old church cookbooks
Reflection prompt:
When you flip through a cookbook or see photos of delicious food, what comes up—curiosity and inspiration, or guilt and anxiety? What’s one small way you could invite food pleasure back in this week?
Stay connected:
Subscribe to Michelle’s newsletter at wayzahealth.com and come say hi on Instagram to share what’s inspiring your winter cooking.
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