Loving Food Again: A Spiritual Return to Intuitive Eating
The Forgotten Wisdom
In a world where information is abundant and self-judgment runs rampant, many of us have lost connection with one of the most basic instincts we’re born with: how to eat. The rise of diet culture, body obsession, trauma, and spiritual disconnection has created an epidemic where food is no longer a source of joy and energy but a source of stress, fear, and shame. This article is a call to remember what we once knew: how to eat freely, love our bodies, and live fully.
The Roots of Disconnection
Since the beginning of time, man has known how to eat, digest, and treat food as an energy source. There was never an issue of “trying to lose weight.” The focus was survival: how to get enough food to feel satisfied, to have enough energy to perform daily tasks, to think clearly, to live, and to thrive. The body naturally communicated what it needed, and the soul trusted it.
Yet here we are today, in an age of excess—especially in America—struggling more than ever with food. We’ve lost the intuitive ability to eat in a balanced way. Instead, we self-sabotage our joy and spiral into shame and fear. Our culture has shaped a new normal—where it’s “normal” to count calories, to restrict, to binge, to fear carbs or fat, or to obsess over the scale. The language of diet culture has drowned out the language of the body.
Trauma and the Cage of Control
One of my patients has lived through this very cycle for over 70 years. At just five years old, her father told her she was “chubby.” That one moment marked her. It triggered decades of shame, control, and self-denial. She developed anorexia at that young age and has spent most of her life obsessively controlling food to avoid rejection, disapproval, or emotional pain. Her relationships with others throughout life, especially her late husband, were ones that could never get deep enough to experience true love, and the relationships with her dogs were projections of her fears and lack of control.
Now, at 78 years old, she’s finally breaking free. After a recent diagnosis of tongue cancer, she came to me knowing that true healing had to go deeper. She realized she could no longer walk the same path of control and self-denial. Her soul was crying out for peace. Together, we began clearing the traumas, layer by layer. We addressed not just her physical body, but her inner child, her belief systems, her nervous system, and her spiritual connection. Healing doesn’t come in a straight line, but it does come when we walk the path with courage.
I remember the first time she took a cruise and then traveled to Hawaii—an incredible breakthrough. Why? Because she let go of control. She ate foods outside of her “safe” list. She allowed joy in. She allowed herself to live. And in doing so, she began to sing a new melody—one aligned with her true self, no longer trapped in fear, but wide open to the healing grace of God. She is also taking new classes at a church, making new friends, and releasing self-judgment. With the help of Chinese herbs and supplements, we have supported her mind and body into new territory, one where she lives to thrive instead of fearing cancer returning. Truly, isn’t this what we all want and what is ideal? What kind of life is it to live in fear of getting a deadly disease?
Healing isn’t a destination. It’s a journey. And each step counts. Every courageous choice, every vulnerable breakthrough, every tear shed, every meal enjoyed in peace—it all adds up to a transformation that the soul was born to experience.
The Weight of Protection
Another deep truth I’ve observed in my clinical practice is this: when someone is trying to lose weight, the body will often resist. Not because it’s “broken,” but because weight is serving a purpose. In many cases, excess weight or inflammation acts as a safety blanket.
The body holds onto weight when it doesn’t feel safe. That safety mechanism could be rooted in unresolved trauma, nervous system overload, or emotional burnout. In these cases, the weight isn’t the issue—it’s a symptom. And until we address the root cause, we can’t expect the body to let go.
Sometimes, these roots are biochemical: imbalances in hormones, neurotransmitters, or autoimmune conditions. But underneath all of that is almost always unhealed emotional trauma. If the soul has not gone through a purification process, the body won’t either. Real detoxification starts at the energetic and emotional level.
Here’s the miracle: I’ve seen patients lose weight naturally—effortlessly—once their trauma is cleared, not from dieting, but from alignment. When their nervous system is regulated, their confidence restored, and their joy returned, their body begins to trust again. And when the body trusts, it releases.
Misalignment and Misunderstood Allergies
This spiritual-emotional connection also reveals itself in food sensitivities. I’ve worked with patients who couldn’t tolerate specific foods—gluten, dairy, or sugar, for example—until they healed emotionally. After healing their trauma, the same foods no longer made them sick. Why? Because their body was no longer in a chronic state of defense. Once peace returns to the soul, the immune system calms down. The gut microbiome shifts. The inflammation reduces. The body no longer perceives everything as a threat. So instead of focusing only on what we “can and cannot eat,” we need to explore what led us into misalignment in the first place.
That’s where true healing lies. When we treat food as the enemy, we miss the point. Food is not the problem. Misalignment is.
“If food is thy medicine, as Hippocrates said, then let the medicine work by loving your food.” – Dr. Angela Kung
Intuitive Eating: A Return to Inner Wisdom
So, what is intuitive eating? It’s not a diet. It’s a remembrance. It’s about rebuilding trust with your body. Listening to your hunger cues. Eating when you’re hungry. Stopping when you’re satisfied. Not labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” Not punishing yourself for having cravings. It’s eating with curiosity and kindness instead of judgment.
And it’s not just physical. Intuitive eating is spiritual. When you’re truly aligned with your higher self, when you’re connected to your Source, you eat with reverence, not resistance. You eat in celebration, not fear. You bless your meals with gratitude and allow the nourishment to fill more than just your stomach.
Healing your relationship with food is one of the most radical acts of self-love. It’s reclaiming your freedom. It’s remembering who you really are before the world tells you to shrink, conform, or disappear.
A New Vision for Healing
Imagine a world where children are taught to love their bodies. Where meals are sacred, not shameful. Where women and men of all ages no longer live in fear of gaining weight but live in joy for being alive.
We can get there. But it starts within. It starts with asking yourself:
- Why do I feel unsafe in my body?
- What am I trying to control through food?
- Where am I still carrying the weight of old wounds?
- What would happen if I chose peace instead of punishment?
It takes courage to walk this path. But it’s worth it. Every soul is worthy of eating joyfully. Every soul deserves to live in a body that feels like home.
You Can Begin Again
To anyone reading this who feels stuck in a war with your body: You are not alone. And you are not broken. You are worthy of healing. You are worthy of freedom. Whether you’ve battled eating disorders, weight struggles, food fears, or body shame, there is a way back home. And that way is paved with love, grace, and truth.
It’s never too late to begin again. I’ve seen women in their 70s and 80s finally heal their relationship with food. I’ve watched patients release decades of guilt in one breakthrough moment. You can, too.
Start by getting the help you need. Clear the trauma. Find the root. Reconnect with your spirit. Allow your inner child to feel safe again. As you heal, your relationship with food will change—and so will your relationship with yourself.
Yes, you deserve to live a life of easy and joyful eating. You deserve to live in a body that feels free. Let food become your ally again, not your enemy. Let your body become your partner in joy, not your battleground. Happy eating.
About the Author: Dr. Angela Kung is a world-renowned spiritual healer, trauma specialist, and physician of Chinese medicine based in Orange County, CA. She is the founder and CEO of Angela Kung Acupuncture & Wellness Center since 2010, where she and her team have helped thousands of patients heal physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. A former 10x national synchronized figure skating champion and professional ice skater turned healer, Dr. Kung is also the reigning Mrs. Asia USA 2025 and a featured expert in the documentary Pillars of Power.
She is also the executive producer and co-director of a documentary series called Rise of the Lioness, a film project to inspire the world and explore the definition of feminine leadership. Through her integrative work, she helps individuals of all ages clear trauma, spiritually align with the divine, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and return to intuitive living. Learn more at www.angelakungacupuncture.com and TheAngelaKung at Taplink. You can also follow her on social media @theangelakung and @angelakungacupuncture.
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