In this day and age, having a positive relationship with food can feel impossible. There’s so much influence to look a certain way, and the search to meet society’s body goals can leave us controlling our food intake. Thankfully, you can nurture a better relationship with food. Just like any relationship in life, it just needs a bit of work.
So, What Does A Good Relationship With Food Look Like?
Interestingly, a good relationship with food has absolutely nothing to do with what you eat or how much of it you consume. It’s more about how and why you choose to eat.
Here are some signs that you have a good relationship with food:
You listen and respond to your body’s natural hunger cues.
You eat when you’re hungry and then stop when you’re full.
You allow yourself to eat whatever you want.
You don’t feel the urge to justify your food choices.
You don’t decide what you can or can’t eat based on the number the scale shows.
Other people’s opinions don’t dictate the food you eat.
You choose food that makes you feel good.
You enjoy all foods in moderation.
And you don’t choose food based on its calories.
It can feel overwhelming to look at that list and think you don’t have a chance of thinking about food in that way. But you’re not alone. Instead of accomplishing the whole list, why not focus on one habit and concentrate on making that work for you?
Helpful Tips
Here are four ways to get you started on your journey that are helpful no matter what stage you’re at.
Eat When You’re Hungry
We’re all born with the ability to regulate our hunger. Unfortunately, as we get older, we actually start to lose this ability. Whether it be from having our parents tell us to clear our plates, even though we’re full. Or on the other side, diet culture has taught us to rely on the number of calories we’ve eaten to tell us whether we’re done eating for the day.
Take time to get to know your body again and listen to your natural hunger cues.
Give Yourself Permission
A sign of a positive, healthy relationship with food is giving yourself permission to eat without conditions. Having rules about when, how, or what you can eat will only lead to feelings of shame if you break them and a fear of food.
If you end up overeating, you still deserve to eat later on if you become hungry again. Or even if you just want to eat. Using food as a disciplinary tool does not promote a good relationship with food.
Try Eating Mindfully
Eating mindfully means you’re fully present in the moment and for the whole eating experience. It means taking time to observe how the food tastes, how it feels and smells without distractions.
It’s a great way to slow down the process of eating so you can relearn your body’s hunger cues and what fullness feels like. It can also help you better understand your reasons for eating at that moment.
It can be helpful to keep a journal where you write down anything that comes up when practicing mindful eating.
All Foods Are Welcome
Saying that some foods are bad gives them power over you. A power that is wholly unnecessary for food to have. It’s true, some foods are nutritionally better for you. But the foods that aren’t don’t have the power to maliciously affect your health.
There’s an interesting phenomenon that when you restrict your diet, you have far more cravings for the food you prescribe as ‘bad.’ When all foods are allowed, then you find that cravings for them diminish. And you remove the power of food in time so that you can just enjoy it.
Final Thoughts
Having a good relationship with food takes time. Like any relationship, it needs to be nurtured and looked after. For some, fostering a better attitude towards food is easy. Where for others, it might feel like a mountain to climb.
All experiences are valid. It’s important to remember that having a normal, healthy relationship with food has nothing to do with the food itself. It’s all about our attitude towards it.