How to build a healthy relationship with food
Are you struggling to build a healthy relationship with food? Here's how to shift your mindset.
Guilt eating, bingeing, mindless snacking and eating out of boredom –we’re all a little guilty of using food as an escape or source of fulfilment. It all starts in the mind. How you think about food and its role in your life greatly affects your eating habits. If you’re feeling a little stuck, we’ve got you covered.
1. Food is Nourishment
We’re often wrapped up in this idea that eating healthy and consuming only whole foods is a form of ‘dieting’ (and heaps of effort!). If your mindset is to quickly `fix’ your diet, you may be setting yourself up for failure. You want to shift your focus from seeing food as something that could be ‘good’ or `bad’ to something that nourishes and fuels your body.
Sometimes we turn to food as a reward, especially when we’ve been performing difficult tasks or followed a strict diet listed with do’s and don’ts. When you start to accept that your body and its needs and preferences are different to those of others, you can make better choices about what you’re consuming.
2. Nothing is Forbidden
Wholesome eating is often labelled ‘boring’ and `restrictive’, but this could be because we’ve constructed an idea that some foods and food groups are to be avoided completely. This mindset can lead us to be ashamed of cravings for these foods, which can result in poor food choices. By forbidding yourself from eating certain foods, you may find it has the exact opposite effect and adverse consequences.
Educate yourself about food; processed and fried foods and refined carbs cause inflammation, which puts your immune and digestive system into overdrive.
That doesn’t mean that these foods are the root of all evil. Ask yourself: “If I could have it at any time, do I really want it?” Allow yourself to eat foods when you crave them -everything in moderation.
3. Be Your Best Friend
Stress can be a sneaky thing: it can make us doubt everything we know. And eating can be a way to cope. That doesn’t make it a bad thing. If you think about it, all eating is emotional: we have a trigger, which leads to an emotion, which leads to the action of eating.
We need to dismantle the idea of eating as the go-to coping method. Take things slow and steady and show yourself grace and compassion. You’re not a failure if you’ve ‘fallen off the horse’, nor should you procrastinate about implementing healthy change.
You can change the conversation in your head to be one of self- acceptance, cultivating a positive mindset that values the potential of your long-lasting health and well-being.
@patiispage Antwort auf @Yolene Tips that helped me build a healthy relationship with food 🥬✨ If you are struggling, remember you’re not alone and talk to someone about it, you’d be surprised how many people are actually struggling with this as well! 💌 #EmotionalEating #HealthyHabits #MindfulEating #MentalHealth #SelfCare #wellnessjourney ♬ Originalton - Patricja | recipes & fitness
4. Eat with Purpose
It’s simple: which foods does your body like or dislike? This is not limited to fast food or processed food; your body may not respond well to some whole or organic foods. If you eat a boiled egg and find your toilet is ‘Out of Order’, another source of protein would work better for you. It really does help to figure out which foods make your body feel strong and which ones don’t.
Furthermore, mindful eating — being fully present with your senses while enjoying a meal —helps to increase your gratitude for food and improve your overall experience. It also helps you to make choices that are satisfying and nourishing, creating a judgement-free experience.
If your mindset is to quickly ‘fix’ your diet, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Shift your focus to see food as something that nourishes and fuels your body
5. It's a Lifestyle
It’s good to have healthy eating goals, but getting caught up in achieving them ASAP can be overwhelming and end in disappointment and frustration when you don’t reach every milestone as expected.
Implement change slowly, so you can form healthy habits for the long run. If you want to cut down on sugar, start small and wean yourself off sugary treats incrementally. Similarly, you don’t have to compile a strict meal plan for the entire week ahead – it’s okay to just focus on what your next meal will be.
By: Saadiqah Schroeder
Text courtesy of Jet magazine
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