Top tips to build a healthier relationship with food so you can be healthy, happy and free
In 2020 it appears every (wo)man and their dog has something to say about nutrition.
There is SO much information available on the world wide web and being able to differ sense from BS is now more challenging than ever! Does celery juice cure cancer? Are bananas evil? Should I try keto or should I follow that vegan diet: high carb, low fat? Should I try intermittent fasting to speed up my metabolism? Does fat make you fat? Does eating after 7pm make you gain weight? No carbs are 6pm?
Okay, we’re exhausted already!
If you’re reading this, we assume you have been following our philosophy for a while and by now are pretty clued in to sorting fact from fiction. In case you need a gentle nudge or reminder, here are 9 mistakes you don’t know you’re making:
You go too long without eating and skip meals
When we leave gaps of greater than 4 hours between eating our blood sugar levels begin to decrease, leaving us more likely to overeat at the next meal or snack. Eating regularly is super important for optimal functioning and to PREVENT overeating or binging later in the day
You care what others think of your food choices
Every.Single.Person.Is.Different. Not only that but our individual energy requirements and food intake will change every day based on a number of factors including your age, gender, activity levels, sleep, stress, stage of menstrual cycle and genetics.
You don’t practice self-compassion
It is a natural, default human state to be our own worst critic. Self-compassion encompasses three principles: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. With self-compassion we give ourselves the same kindness and care we would give a good friend. It is normal to experience difficult times, feel like a failure or inadequate. How we treat ourselves during this time –
You try and make too many big changes at once
We like to think of human beings having three zones: comfort zone, stretch zone and panic zone. When we overwhelm our state of being with so many changes at once we enter the ‘panic’ zone where we feel overwhelmed and overstretched.
If these changes are unrealistic (or we are not making changes for the right motivation) we quickly jump back into our comfort zone as a means of self-protection. Small steps still move you forward, and we like to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Be patient with yourself and the expectations you have of yourself.
Health should be a wonderful addition to your life, not something else to stress over. Want to eat more vegetables? Put one new veg on your plate tonight? Want to be able to run 10km? Start with a 5-minute run at the end of your walk and increase by 5 minutes every time.
Your forbid certain foods to your naughty list
Food is not morally good or bad. Food is just food. If you find yourself labelling foods, try and call all foods by their name. For example, broccoli is not healthy it’s just broccoli. Chocolate is not naughty, it’s just chocolate. Drop the labels. It’s pretty powerful.
You’re “good” Monday through Friday and think “well, sod it” when the weekend rolls around
This is oh, so cleverly disguised as another way the restrict-binge cycle is robbing you of a fulfilling life.
It is not normal to follow strict rules during the week, to then think ‘the hell with it’ on the weekend. The reason you feel out of control for these two days is because you do not give yourself the permission to eat all foods unconditionally.
Cue the wonderful world of food freedom and intuitive eating (just a phone call away!)
You count calories or ‘points’ (same thing!)
Whatever you want to call it, you rely on numbers instead of your hunger and fullness cues to guide your food choices. No ‘expert’ and no diet plan will ever know your body as well as you do.
You are currently following a diet
Diets don’t work for the mere reason they are essentially telling you what, when and how much to eat. You are the expert of your body and no diet, plan or influencer can tell you otherwise (although they sure will try!)
When we rely on external references to dictate what food we should eat we can become “out of touch” with our body cues. We end up losing trust with our body and its’ biological hunger cues.
If you are currently recovering from a long history of chronic dieting, we see you. It’s tough. You’re making the most fantastic choice towards food freedom and you might need an extra dose self-compassion (refer back to point 3 as above)
You are planning to start a diet.
Ahem, say no more.
If you want further support to teach you how to move away from boring diets and want to nurture a more positive relationship with food, CHECK-OUT our Online THRIVE Programme! In this programme we address the ins and outs of putting an end to the restriction-binge cycle, teach you how to nurture a positive relationship with your body and food AND guide you towards food freedom.
Enquire today! [email protected]
Team EHL x
