My relationship with food.
Should we label foods as good or bad?
The internet is full of articles with names like “10 Foods to never include in your diet” or “Avoid these foods if you want to stay fit”. There has always been this “war” surrounding food,what you should and should´t eat , best and worst diets etc. In my opinion food should be neutral thing instead of being something to argue over. My motto surrounding all things eating is “eat food that makes your body feel good”. That´s it nothing is considered “bad” Food or “good” food. Everything is allowed in moderation. My body tells me what it needs. You could think this the same way as how in meditation practices we often say to our self´s “ It´s not a good thought or bad thought, it´s just a thought” In the same way food is just food.
Why restricting food is not the best choice?
Never allowing yourself to eat a specific food groups will often make you have even more cravings towards those. For example saying “ just decided to stop eating sugar forever” can create constant craving towards all things sweet. instead saying “ let´s make sure to eat a proper meal before dessert” is much more gentler way to approach this. of course if you have food sensitivities talk to your doctor and make a eating plan that works for you. But in this case my aim is to talk to people with out specific dietary needs based on allergies etc.
Your whole health is not destroyed by that one piece of cake you decided to eat at someones birthday. Unfortunately i cant remember who said this next thing“There is no such a thing as food police coming to arrest you because you ate that piece of chocolate cake” Thought it was a clever metaphor and a reminder of how our health consists of behaviors that are repeated over a long periods of time instead of that one meal, even if it is not the most nutritious choice it wont ruin your whole life. So we should´t feel guilty about indulging and having our favorite treats from time to time.
“A good relationship with food involves having unconditional permission to eat the foods that make you feel good physically and mentally” — Health line.com
How do i know if my relationship with food is good?
According to healthline.com article some of the sings of not having great relationship with food include feeling guilty about eating,avoiding foods that are “bad”for you and ignoring your body´s natural hunger ques among other sings witch you can read more here: (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fixing-a-bad-relationship-with-food)
“The goal of a good relationship with food is to have more positive experiences with food than negative ones.” — Healthline.com
What do i think about calories and weight.
For me personally it´s best not to count calories, I have never counted calorie content of a single meal. find the idea of calories bringing me too much extra stress, instead it´s better to add more healthy things in to your diet without focusing only on the numbers. Calories are just energy for me nothing more. Same thing with weight, I am not focusing on that too much because especially in women it can change depending on what part of your menstrual cycle your are in, that does not mean weight gain necessarily. Numbers might go up after eating salty foods as well, so please don´t stress about it too much. Easier said than done i know.
Signs of having good relationship with food include giving yourself unconditional permission to eat foods that you enjoy,eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full,not obsessing over the number on the scale and enjoying all foods in moderation.
Has my relationship with food changed over time?
Absolutely, it might seem i have it all together and never struggle with my eating but that is not true. In general i find myself having healthy relationship with all things eating and food,but sometimes it´s difficult not to allow those health articles or unrealistic pictures in magazines affect me. All tho it´s quite rare and i find myself being able to stop those negative thoughts by telling myself “that is not realistic you are enough as you are.” And then continuing with being gentle with myself.
I can give you one real life experience that had to do with body image and society trying to push a specific model of one and only perfect body. As some of you might know i went tru an eyelid surgery few weeks ago,before that appointment my focus was on moving more and building strength for easier recovery. Afterwards doctors advised me to avoid heavy exercise and yoga was on not allowed list for a week.
Well last weekend there were thoughts in my head about is that progress ruined now because of one week of less exercise, that obviously was not the case at all. One week of less movement is not ruining anyone's whole life. it´s all about balance and giving yourself time to recover after surgery. Moving our bodies is important but it is not my main focus in life. For me is important to enjoy my favorite foods quilt free and spend time with my loved ones.
Lastly it is important to remember that in the long run diets wont work. You can temporarily loose some weight but often all of it comes back in the long run. I have never been on a diet and never will. Why start something you cant follow for the rest of your life. Food is meant to be enjoyed not used as a punishment for not moving enough. Life is too short for worrying about whether or not you can eat something you enjoy. ❤
