We want this community to be a safe place for you to ask all the questions that you have. So, we will be posting common questions and sharing the answers – just in case others were wondering the same thing. Today’s question: how to eat healthy. There’s so much to cover with just this one question. In other words, this one is going to have to be a series.
Step 1: Identify your relationship with food
The food choices that we make depends on the type of relationship that we have with food. That’s right! You totally have a relationship with food – whether you’ve thought about it or not. Consider this, are you two in a situation-ship? How about exclusive? Or is it down-right complicated? No, food can’t take you on a date; however, its impact can certainly follow you for the rest of your life.
One of the main reasons it’s hard to understand how to eat healthy is because often-times we try to follow a diet plan that was created by another person. That is to say, generic plans are ineffective because they don’t know YOUR relationship with food. Effective diet plans and goals must consider your habits, and should be tailored to your lifestyle. To help you on your journey to eat healthy and identify where you stand in your relationship with food, here are some questions that may help:
- Why do you eat?
- How much do you eat?
- Where do you eat?
- How do you eat?
- What do you eat?
Why do you eat?
Seems like an easy question, right? Most would answer, “I eat because I’m hungry.” But dig deeper than this. Why do YOU eat food outside of the feeling of hunger? Is it because you’re bored? Sad? Happy? Or is it because you like tasting different flavors? Knowing your why will help you come up with a game plan. For example, if you eat when you’re bored, then you can begin to find alternate activities that will keep you busy and keep you from eating too much food.
How much do you eat?
What is the amount of food that you eat? Do you fill up your plate a couple of times? Do you eat more meat compared to other things? What does this look like in measurements – cups, ounces, etc.? Or do you just eat until your belly feels full? Are you consciously aware of how much food you eat?
Where do you eat?
Certainly it may not feel like it, but location can tell you a lot. Do you eat in your room? At the table? In the bed? In a chair? Where do you eat, Sam-I-Am? It is also important to pay attention to how you feel in this/these environment(s). For instance, if you eat in a gloomy room that makes you feel bad about yourself and what you’re eating, this might be an area that you can work on. Or, if you eat most of your food in front of a TV or computer screen, and this causes you to eat more than you expected to, then this an area that you could make some adjustments.
How do you eat?
How do you pace yourself when eat? Do you eat really fast because you have to get other things done? Do you mind if the food on your plate touches? Utensils – do you like them?
Addressing the How can impact the choices you make moment to moment. For example, if it is culturally important for a person to use their hands while eating, but most of their meals occur around people who don’t understand this practice, then this can have a significant impact on the choices this person makes. This person could avoid eating all together until they are home. Or, they might limit themselves to food options that other people find socially acceptable to eat with the hands.
What do you eat?
“You are what you eat” – a phrase that others use often. Although, food doesn’t quite work that way, but what we eat can tell us a lot. That is to say, identifying what foods we eat can tell us about our habits, and even what nutrients our body may need more or less of. So, what type of foods do you eat most often? What foods do you avoid? Do you prefer certain textures or preparation methods? Are your food preferences tied to something important to you like culture or family? Or, are your selections rooted in convenience?
It’s not always as easy as 1-2-3
“How to eat healthy?” is a complicated question, and may not have a simple answer for some people. In conclusion, many approaches to eating healthy are rooted in selecting the “right type of foods.” To increase our chance of being successful, and before we talk about specific foods, we challenge you to dig deeper into your mind and understand your relationship with food. Understanding yourself better will make it easier to make new choices that will fit the lifestyle that you are looking for.
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