Stop The Food Guilt For GOOD!

I truly believe that food should be thoroughly enjoyed and not restricted. This doesn’t mean gorging on food, it means tasting and savoring every bite. You CAN eat what you desire and feel your best. Our bodies are not designed to restrict and/or binge. Our bodies crave nourishment and movement. This is especially the case during the holidays as well. Restricting and/or binging only makes you feel stressed, depressed and deprived. Restricting not only causes mental distress but physical as well. It can cause blood sugar dysregulation, bloating, constipation, decreased libido, weight gain, hair loss, and fragile bones. Binging can cause insulin resistance, weight gain, digestive issues, and acne. Scary stuff huh?

We are surrounded by media that creates a need for dieting and getting out of the binge and restrict cycle can be extremely hard! Below are a few ways to reshape your mindset around food.

Eat Slowly: Eat what you enjoy, but make sure to actually enjoy it. Sometimes we eat foods because we are under the impression they taste SOOO good. When we really slow down and taste it, it may not be as great we as expected. Chew your food and taste it. Place your fork down between bites. Set a 20-30 minute timer for your meal. Whatever helps you slow down, do it!

Rest & Digest: In order for the body to recognize the food coming into the stomach, it needs time. When we eat fast, our mind and body connection becomes skewed. We end up eating more, feeling bloated and exhausted. Eating in the car, while walking or standing or when stressed can affect the way our body absorbs nutrients. Our bodies are not able to harvest the nutrients from food and it can cause stress to our entire system. Take your time eating, eat in a relaxed environment, and sit down.

Food Is Always Available: When we think that food is not available, we try to eat as much as we can. We can eat these foods at any time and there is plenty of it. There is no need to eat it all in one sitting.

Lose The Labels: When we stop using labels like “I can’t eat this because it has so much sugar” or “this food has too many calories” or “I am going to eat whatever I want and burn it all off tomorrow in a soul crushing workout” is when we can begin to appreciate food rather than constantly being in battle with it. This battle causes yo-yo dieting, weight gain, weight loss, anxiety, depression, and this need to be perfect. There is no weight or physique you will bring you happiness, trust me. Happiness and joy come from a within and a shift in mindset.

Diets Don’t Work: There are so many fad diets out there that many people have seen success with, but did they stay on that diet for the rest of their life? The answer is most likely, no. People of majority on diets gain the weight because diets are no sustainable.  Creating a lifestyle and mindset change without restriction but an understanding of what your body needs is not only sustainable but wayyyyy less painful than dieting.

Get Intune: Listen to your hunger and fullness cues. What does hungry feel like? What does “hangry” feel like? What does full feel like? What does “stuffed” feel like? Start listening to those cues and you will be well on your way to eating intuitively and getting off the dieting cycle.

Everyone Is Unique: Just because everyone else is doing it, should you? Your body is so unique and special that we all have different requirements to maintain health. Diets are created for the masses and are not individualized. Why torture yourself with a diet that is not going to work with your individualized needs?