By: Maria McConville, MS, RDN, CPT
If you drew a picture of your relationship with food, what
would it be? I’ve asked others the same thing, and I’m intrigued by the images.
Some of these are positive, but I’ve also seen pictures of handcuffs, stop
signs, question marks, rollercoasters, plates with only a morsel of food on
them, downward-pointing arrows, and sad faces. Needless to say, many people are
not at peace with their food.
The average American eats about 90,000 meals over the course
of their lifetime. That means they make 90,000 decisions on what to eat. One
would think it’s easy to figure out. But many people are confused about what
to eat in order to get or stay healthy. Others have an unhealthy
relationship with food where they feel shackled, out of control, or defeated.
Since most people eat multiple times each day (and given that food and its
nutrients are necessary to survive and thrive), it’s vitally important to be at
peace with food, not only to feed the body, but the mind and soul as well.
Why do you have power struggles with food?
- Confused about what to eat. You are constantly bombarded by messages about what is healthy, what will improve performance, help keep you young, or lose weight fast! These messages come from social-media influencers, celebrities, food manufacturers, blog posts, product reviews, and print media. But many of these sources give false, inaccurate, or biased information, and they aren’t necessarily based on true health science. It’s daunting to figure out what foods are “healthy.”
- Labeling food as bad or good. When food is labeled as bad or good, every time you eat a “bad” food, you also label yourself as bad. This leads to guilt and defeat.
- Clinging to self-proclaimed labels. If you cling to a label such as “big-boned,” “sugar addict,” “sweet tooth,” “carboholic,” “stress-eater,” or “meat-and-potatoes guy,” it enables you to justify poor eating habits.
- Not tuning in to your body. If you follow a fad or restrictive diet because it worked for others, but you don’t feel energized, fulfilled, and at peace with what you eat, you’re not listening to your body. That is probably not the best diet plan for you.
- Using food to deal with or avoid emotions. Often you might eat because you’re sad, depressed, lonely, jealous, angry, or overwhelmed. When you do so, you’re using food to temporarily alleviate the emotion or distract from addressing the underlying cause of the emotion.
When you accept that all food can fit at some time and that
there’s no “perfect” diet or eating plan, it can help you become more empowered
by your food choices. You should feel confident in what, how, and when you eat.
Some steps for you to make peace with food
- Tune in to accurate information. Consult reputable organizations or websites such as HPRC, EatRight, or USDA.
- Banish labels. Refrain from labeling food (or yourself) as good or bad. If you’ve labeled yourself in a way that justifies poor food choices, you can let go of that label.
- Tune out social media, advertisements, and false reviews. Instead, tune in to what your body tells you. Don’t just use the scale to measure what to eat. Gauge your energy, disposition, sleep, and other health indicators to determine your food intake.
- Adopt a nourishment mindset. Instead of asking whether a food is good or bad, ask yourself if that food will nourish your body. Food not only nourishes you physically—it can nourish your mind and soul. Try out the practice of intuitive eating.
- Learn to recognize emotional eating patterns. Set goals to resolve the root emotion instead of deflecting and temporarily gaining pleasure from unhealthy foods.
- Recognize YOUR best diet and strive to follow it for a lifetime. Each person’s eating plan is different. Once you tune in to your body, mind, and soul, you’ll know which foods nourish you. Keep those foods in your diet and embrace it as your best diet. Once you connect with the practice of nourishment, it becomes a way of life.
“Ego says, ‘Once everything falls into place, I'll feel peace.’ Spirit says, ‘Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.’”
―Marianne Williamson, American author, spiritual leader, and political activist
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
