These days, having a good relationship with food is a rarity. The pressure to look or feel a certain way about our bodies has distorted our thinking and behaviors surrounding nutrition. That being said, the emphasis being put on health and wellness in place of weight loss has never been more prevalent. Which means we’re understanding that our relationship with food has to change for the better so that we can live long, happy and fulfilling lives!
Having a good relationship with food isn’t something you can achieve overnight, but rather, something that you’ll likely have to work on your entire life - just as you’d work on your relationship with yourself and others. It’s an ongoing process filled with hills and valleys.
SIGNS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE A BAD RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD
- You feel guilty about eating
- You are stuck in a restrict/binge cycle
- You categorize foods into ‘good’ and ‘bad’
- You have developed a list of rules surrounding the foods you can and cannot eat
- You stop eating when you think you’ve hit certain calorie ‘goals’
- You don’t listen to your body’s hunger cues
- You follow fad diets
- You get anxiety when eating in social settings
It’s not uncommon to experience one of the above disordered thoughts regarding food in our lifetime, but when you improve your relationship with food, you’ll notice a lot less stress and worry around eating and more food freedom. Here are a few simple ways to start improving your relationship with food:
GIVE YOURSELF UNCONDITIONAL PERMISSION TO EAT
To give ourselves unconditional permission to eat, is not saying that we can eat whatever, whenever and however much we want mindlessly. It's that we can eat whatever, whenever and however while practicing attunement, which is making peace with food and honouring our hunger and fullness signals.
EAT WHEN YOU'RE HUNGRY
Hunger is the barometer that tells us where the food we eat will go. Eat when you’re hungry and that nutrition will fuel your life e.g. having the energy to play with your children or getting those last 3 reps in during your workout. Eating when you’re not hungry can weigh you down and exacerbate feelings of guilt, triggering a binge/restrict cycle.
PRACTICE MINDFUL EATING
The purpose of mindful eating is not to lose weight. The intention is to help individuals savor the moment and the food and encourage their full presence and gratitude for the eating experience.
WELCOME ALL FOODS IN YOUR DIET
A well-balanced diet provides all of the energy you need to keep active throughout the day, assisting in the prevention of energy dips, insulin spikes and unnecessary cravings. You need a wide variety of micro and macro nutrients for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy and help to prevent diet-related illness.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE LANGUAGE YOU USE AROUND FOOD
Many of us likely do not pay much attention to the language we use when discussing food, weight, or body image. And yet, words can have a profound impact on our perception of these things and overall mental health. When we use judgmental or hurtful words to describe the food we eat or the size of our body, over time this repetitive negative thinking can translate into feelings of shame, anxiety, overall poor mental health and a bad relationship with food.
USE KLEAN AS A PART OF SELF-CARE ROUTINE
Part of healing your relationship with food is understanding that nutrition is key. You have to eat to survive and you have to give your body the tools to effectively digest and absorb nutrients.
Our Kleanse is the perfect way to reset! It consists of a 3-step cleanse designed to eliminate toxins, nourish and revitalise your body from the inside out. Our goal is to help you in the progression of undoing bad habits, being more mindful of what you are putting into your body and bettering your relationship with food! No more deprivation, crash diets or drastic lifestyle changes. Just mental and physical health. Naturally.
