What is Your Relationship with Food?
Your relationship with food is hugely important to your overall well-being. The way you eat can make or break your overall health, and it certainly affects the way you feel. Below we cover a few areas that can help you take a deep look at your relationship with food. Hopefully, on reflection, they can help you make better choices for yourself and work towards eating better.
I certainly have a difficult relationship with food. It took me many, many years to realise this and then accept it. Even though I eat quite well nowadays (with the exception of some sugary foods) and my overall sense of happiness and guilt-free mood has made such a huge impact in my quality of life I’d like to share some thoughts with you all.
NOTE: The point of this article is for you to be aware of how your relationship with food affects you. Without this awareness, it is hard to make better choices and have a healthier lifestyle overall.
About Food Habits
It seems like many people rely on food as a crutch. You may be having a rough day and not feeling motivated to get out and exercise, or you may be eating a lot of junk food because you want something to cheer you up. If this describes your relationship with food, then it is time to make some changes.
What do you base your decisions on when you are about to eat? Are you looking for emotional comfort, or perhaps you’re wanting to bring back an emotion from the past?
There are many different factors that influence our food choices. Let’s have a look at a few.
The Quick Fix – Happy Happy Joy Joy Food!
Many fast foods and sugary foods will give you a rush, a sense of happiness. Are you eating to get these feelings? These feelings would not be natural then if you think about it. It’s a false sense of happiness that a certain type of (usually bad) food gives you.
NOTE: Why not try eating natural foods that are full of vitamins and minerals that your body needs? Make sure you eat enough so you don’t feel hungry. If you do this, it will be much easier for you to deal with your emotions without having to rely on food for a quick fix.
Cultural Background
Many dishes you might eat have a cultural link to them. In many cultures, certain foods are eaten for specific purposes. I’m Spanish, from the Canary Islands, and we have very particular foods that we eat at certain times of the year (but also daily foods that are a staple of our cuisine). Many of these dishes are not particularly healthy.
NOTE: Be conscious of the foods you’re having that have a cultural background to them. You might be eating them without giving them a second thought. But are they necessary? Do all of them have nutritional value? Are you eating them out of habit without thinking about the ingredients? I certainly notice when I eat healthily but go back to some cultural dishes that might not be very good for me.
Be aware of these types of foods and why you might be eating them.
Food Memory: Bringing Back Emotions
Sometimes we eat particular foods because they bring a feeling from the past. Certain dishes might be comforting because you used to have them at home as a child and they give you a particular type of warm, cosy feeling. They bring back a certain nostalgia that makes you feel good.
NOTE: Looking for a past emotion is not a bad thing. Particularly if it brings a sense of family and security. This is the child in us, still wanting to feel safe.
“Scared” of Certain Foods
Some people have the “scared” of certain foods syndrome. You might have a big fear of eating a certain food group or type of food for some reason. For example, you may be scared of having to go the bathroom a lot, or you may be associating this certain food with being sick in the past. As a child, you might have been forced to have a particular food and now you feel “scared” of it and never touch it.
NOTE: If you’re scared of a particular food, that means there is something that makes you feel uncomfortable when thinking of it. When you’re trying to eat a healthier diet, do not avoid these foods. Avoidance will only lead to future issues, and maybe even eating disorders. Talk to a psychologist or doctor about this.
The “McDonald’s Effect”
It’s no secret that McDonald’s is one of “the” biggest fast-food restaurants in the world. Many people eat a meal at McDonald’s because this type of fast food is a “quick fix” for many who are stressed out or feel bad about themselves. Even though people know it is not good they still do it. I think it can easily become an addiction, so people will go back often to eat more of these foods and a loop is created. Another problem is because this type of food is quick to consume, it becomes very easy to over-consume and over-eating can lead to other issues.
NOTE: Going to McDonald’s and eating a meal there might be a quick fix, but it is not the healthiest choice. You can eat healthier foods that won’t have such a big impact on your health. Breaking the habit might be difficult at first, but it can be done. I never eat Mcdonald’s foods any longer, so, if I could do it, you can do it too.
Food as Comfort
I have a question for you: Do you turn to food for comfort when you’re not feeling well or things aren’t going your way? If your answer is yes, that’s not a good thing. Eating isn’t the best way to deal with your problems.
You might realise that you’re eating these foods for reasons other than for hunger. It might lead you to realise that you eat for comfort or to get a rush from food.
NOTE: If this applies to you, try not to allow these emotions to take hold of your eating habits. You can always sit down and talk about it for example if you’re having an emotional moment about something in your life.
“Food Environment”
Certain restaurants, or grocery stores and supermarkets, perhaps ads you’re exposed to and even the size of your portions are all within “food environment” and can have a repercussion on your choice of foods. Just be aware of your surroundings in regards to food and see how much they actually affect your choices.
NOTE: Try not to overanalyse and go into fear-mode when you realise these things. Just be aware of them and don’t let them rule over you.
Frequent Eating
When you eat three meals a day and then snack throughout the day, it might lead to weight gain and other problems. Many people have a habit of eating more than what is actually necessary. We have all done it. This is not easy to spot at times, particularly if the snacks are small or healthy.
NOTE: People can become addicted to snacks. If you’re one of them, try finding healthier alternatives and eventually see if you can stop snacking altogether.
INFO: How much you eat is dependent on what you feel like eating at the time, how hungry you are and how much your body needs food for energy.
Nutrition Obsession vs Nutrition Education
We are all different and our needs are different when it comes to nutrition. What might be good for someone else might not be good for you and vice versa. Our bodies change over time and as we age, our nutritional needs change with us. The more you know about nutrition, the better your chances of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
NOTE: Are you obsessed with nutrition and forgot to eat for pleasure? No one is perfect. Eat everything in moderation, but try to learn more about nutrition also in a moderate way I’d say. If you’re obsessive about nutrition, it’s best for you to look for a dietician or nutritionist to work with. I am an IIN student and that’s how I get my information in regards to nutrition. Whatever works for you 🙂
Work Schedules
How’s your work schedule affecting what and how you eat? Sometimes long hours at the office can make it difficult to eat healthy. Eating out after hours at a restaurant can also lead to poor nutrition choices because we are not sure about what is in the food we are eating.
Food Preferences
Many people have preferred foods that they like to eat. For example, some people do not like vegetables and will not eat them. For some there is a variation of preferences; they may have certain vegetables they like but they never touch other ones. You might be allergic to certain foods or have decided that a vegan or vegetarian diet is what works for you. My point is that food preferences can affect the way you eat in a positive or negative way. Just be aware of that.
Affordability
Are you eating certain foods because they’re more affordable? The cost of eating healthy can be higher sometimes and finding the time to cook healthily might be impossible. Because some foods cost more, you might decide to opt for cheaper options. Being aware of this is important.
NOTE: I used to look at costs when buying food. I don’t anymore. I buy organic and not a lot (my ladder used to be full, I can see now there is no point, this was a mental game where I had to feel I had enough food at home). Nowadays I keep little and of very good quality. It’s been a journey, but I got here.
Social Engagement
A date, dinner with friends, eating with the family, etc, are social engagements that might affect the foods we choose to eat. When around certain people, see if that affects your choices of foods, ingredients and meals. You might want to look good in front of a date, please your family by eating what they’ve cooked and ordering the same dishes as your friends. Again, awareness is the key here.
Food Values
When you choose your food, what is important to you? For example: reducing environmental impact, easy fast food because of being too busy, sustainability, no plastic, etc… Your food values will determine your food choices.
Can Your Relationship with Food Reflect Your Relationship with Yourself?
I think this can be true in some cases. If you’re not treating yourself well, it might be a reflection of your relationship with food. Treating ourselves well can impact our diets too. As self-love grows, it’s good for your food choices. This I have experienced myself personally.
Emotional Eating & Triggers
There are emotional eating triggers, which can lead you to eat even when you’re not hungry. It can be difficult to notice the triggers if they’re not obvious. For example, take a moment and think of something you ate today that you didn’t really want. How did you feel before you ate it? What was going on in your life at that moment?
-Did you eat because of stress, boredom, anger, sadness, etc.?
-Do certain foods call to you when you’re emotional/stressed/etc?
Many times we’re not aware of emotional eating. Being aware is the first step to getting better control over it.
Diets are Unsustainable – Willpower Should Not be Involved!
Diets don’t work. They make you feel deprived, which can lead to overeating at times. Diets don’t teach you to eat in a healthy way and they’re not sustainable. How many diets have you tried? How many diets can you even stay on or eat well throughout the day?
Mindset
Being aware of your mindset when it comes to food is important. How do you feel after eating certain foods? How do you think food makes you feel? Do you have a positive mindset when it comes to eating well or do negative thoughts come into play when it comes to food?
The Diet-Binge-Diet Cycle
People feel out of control when they’re on a diet. Some people tend to binge eat when they’re on a diet and then they feel bad about it because they have gained the weight back. A lot of people get stuck in the binge-diet-binge cycle and have a hard time changing their eating habits forever. In my view, diets don’t work and this is one of the reasons why.
What is Eating Well?
Nourishing, satisfying, sustainable, flexible, and balanced eating is when you make food choices that help your body and mind feel their best. You know you’re doing it right when you’re getting all the nutrients you need, eating when you’re hungry, not feeling deprived and not overeating. Basically, in a nutshell, that’s it, to be honest!
Thoughts?
Leave me a comment about this post and leave your thoughts. I would love to hear what you think.
Love,
Patri ❤️💕
