Perhaps you recently walked by the newsstand and noticed the magazine covers with the model-thin women on the cover that read, “Lose 10 pounds this month” and “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes.” Does this sound like a mass of contradictions? It is! The mixed messages about food in our society suggest that decadence and total health can happen in the same package. Well, maybe they can and maybe they can’t but there is definitely room in the middle for a wonderful relationship with food.
Our relationships with food are complex indeed. We skip meals, go on crash diets or splurge and feel guilty, all because we are told that we can look like the cover model and eat those cookies. Well perhaps you CAN have your cookies and eat them too!
Geneen Roth, my favorite food author, suffered from eating disorders for many years until she found out some powerful things that transformed her life. In working in counseling and coaching with people I use these principles with great success, due to the fact that the mixed messages get umixed!
What if you could eat delicious healthy foods, enjoy them, feel great and add in a few of the things that you love so you would never feel deprived? Sound like some distant dream? Well you can bring it closer just by realizing a few things.
Food is not your enemy. It is not to be given the power to give or take away your happiness. It is just food and has the meaning that we attach to it. We all know that food is for life, but beyond that, any idea you have about food is likely to be your own. GETTING TO THE IDEAS YOU HAVE ABOUT FOOD AND CHANGING AND RECREATING THEM GIVES YOU FREEDOM TO ENJOY FOOD AND STILL BE HEALTHY!
When you eat well, food cravings go away, and you will begin to prefer foods that are good for you. When you do have something that is off of your healthy foods list, a small amount will be much more satisfying. Unless you have an eating disorder, a blood sugar imbalance or other health condition, a small amount of these foods will become very satisfying and gratifying.
There are simple techniques to assist you in arriving at the place where you will make these choices. They involve rewiring the nervous system in such a way that you have new preferences. The methods are fun, can be done at home once learned and will provide you with a healthier happier life. Wouldn’t you like to end your battle with food?