Last week, a friend and I took advantage of New York’s Restaurant Week and had a delicious three-course meal at the Tribeca Grill. My refreshing glass of wine, warm asparagus salad, skirt steak entrée and vanilla panna cotta with citrus sauce made for a meal that was wholly satisfying and enjoyable.

As I was talking about it to a friend the next day, I realized there were a number of people in my life to whom I wouldn’t recommend this kind of eatery. They’re the ones who often prefer quantity (read: forget the gourmet presentation and bring me hearty portions spilling over the side of the plate) over quality.

While some of that is about taste, much of it is also about how we choose to treat our bodies and the subsequent ripple effect of that. Why do some of us need to feel “stuffed” to feel we’ve eaten at all? And how does that impact other areas of our lives?

One of the most common goal areas I tackle with life coaching clients is the body, and I often base my advice on personal experience. This often means steering the goal away from weight loss and “looks” and on to wellness. Having at one time been one of those folks who preferred feeling stuffed to satisfied, I understand the trickiness of past conditioning and what part our emotions play in consumption. I also get that if you feel your weight has gotten out of your control, then it’s likely a manifestation of something else in your life. For example, if you’re diving into a pint of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch after your boyfriend breaks up with you, the food is replacing or numbing a feeling.

Laughing Sage Wellness founder and CEO Alisa Vitti, who is adamant about weight loss being a byproduct of healthy eating rather than the main motivator, responded to the “Bodies” exhibit at the South Street Seaport in a recent newsletter. While the passage is not about food per se, the overall philosophy applies: “How many women come in to our practice having divorced themselves from feelings, all in the name of success or fitting in? … Begin allowing yourself to feel how you're feeling! Practicing this kind of self-knowing, self-acknowledgement, and self-checking-in is a sensual, of-the-body experience that is the best way to make your life turn out the way you want more quickly.”

The idea of body awareness and attentiveness having a ripple effect in all areas of our lives certainly gets no argument from Mary Tafuri, a holistic health practitioner and co-founder of Just Habits For Life. “As a health counselor, I cannot find a single time when the only benefit to eating well was weight loss or improved physical health – though wonderful in and of themselves. I am always delighted when clients share stories of improvements in relationships, social and physical activities, career, spirituality, creativity, etc.”

More specifically, Tafuri cites a client who came to her with significantly low energy levels and inconsistent sleeping patterns. “We found that improving her diet was the key ingredient to not only feeling better, but improving her income levels as she increased her drive and focus on her business strategy.” In another case, when a client was concerned about emotional snacking around exam time, Tafuri helped her see that increasing whole grains, decreasing sugar and just taking time to eat, “not only decreased her munchies, but she approached her exams with much less stress and anxiety.”

Lest you’re starting to think this is rocket science, let’s dispel the notion. It could not be simpler, really.

“When you are nourished with a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals derived from unprocessed food sources, you are allowing balance in your mind and body,” Tafuri says. “You are able to think clearly, remain energized for longer periods of time, naturally improve chronic health conditions and respond to daily ups and downs from a grounded, calm perspective. Proper nutrition aids our organs in their proper functioning and keeps the mind clear and focused.”

Those are compelling facts, especially in these times when we seem to attribute our every ailment to stress and our current economic climate has upped the ante on that stress. If the bad news is this kind of numbing behavior can spiral into a real problem, the good news is there’s a pattern of behavior that can set you on a healthy – not to be confused with deprived – course. It involves taking seriously the aforementioned information about food, appreciation of baby steps having a long-term impact, living a full life, and making movement (i.e., running, walking, weight training, yoga) a priority.

If you’re groaning or scoffing at any of this, ask yourself why. Which part of that sentence gives you pause? Giving up the all-you-can-eat buffet? Getting up off the couch? Not having the patience to let incremental change happen?

There is indeed so much more to this than how we look. It’s considerably deeper. I like feeling and looking good, but the latter has dropped lower on my priority list of reasons to eat reasonably well, get to the gym four days a week, have patience and fill my life with joyful people and activities. (And, hey, news flash -- this kind of living makes us look better because our energy is palpable and people see us as vibrant and alive).

“Food is a powerful drug and you will feel the effects of it immediately,” Vitti says. So whether you have a meeting, a workout or a date, she recommends asking, “What foods will allow you to do that successfully? It’s about asking the body a question and then listening.”

Stuffed or satisfied. It’s your call.

Nancy Colasurdo is a practicing life coach and freelance writer. Her Web site is www.nancola.com. Please direct all questions/comments to FOXGamePlan@gmail.com.