A healthy relationship with food will help you maintain a happier and full life
By Debborah Dittner
Food!! You all need to eat and, hopefully, you’re all eating as healthy as you can.
This is needed in order to stay healthy and enjoy what every day has to bring.
Eating healthy takes appreciation and trust of the sources from which you purchase your foods. It also takes an understanding of what the foods/nutrients offer your body to maintain health and wellness. A healthy relationship with food will help you maintain a happier and full life.
Some days are just hectic, which can then lead to grabbing a quick snack here or stopping somewhere for a quick meal there and in the end, not getting the nutrients needed to make it through the day with ease.
These stressful times can lead to skipping a meal or two due to time or because you just don’t feel like eating anything.
These hectic days can also lead to overeating at night when you’re finally home and actually able to sit down and grab a bite…or two…or three!
Then you head to bed on an overfull stomach that hasn’t digested yet and then expect to get to sleep. Wrong again! If you already have digestive issues, this will only increase causing fatigue and even the fluctuation of your weight.
If you know a hectic day is ahead, plan for those days. Prepare meals (either small or large) ahead of time so that you’re able to heat a nutritive dish. Always have healthy snacks at the ready such as carrot sticks with hummus, celery sticks with peanut butter, hard boiled eggs or tuna fish on crackers. Whatever the snack or meal may be, you need it to consist of fat, fiber and protein. This combination of foods will aid in maintaining energy and keep you focused. Whatever and whenever you have your snack or meal, be sure to be mindful of what you are eating and not just eating blindly.
Do you always seem to be “on a diet” or trying to lose weight? Do you follow specific rules about what and when to eat? There are so many different diets such as keto, intermittent fasting, low carb, vegetarian/Vegan and Mediterranean to name a few. Some may consider certain foods as either good for you or bad for you depending on the diet you follow. With this type of eating, you may feel frustrated with not really knowing what you should or shouldn’t be eating. So, when you eat food not included in the diet you are eating, you may feel stressed and guilty which then may lead to more poor choices. Stress associated with the foods you eat can lead to other issues such as a negative body image or poor self-esteem.
No one eats perfectly 24/7. No one! Life happens and you must do the best you can to get the proper nutrition. Choose from a variety of different foods and experiment with adding herbs and spices. Above all, your food needs to taste good to you.
Some may use food as a coping mechanism during times of stress making you feel uncomfortable emotionally and with an increased fullness abdominally. Some may seek out “comfort foods” (mine are mashed potatoes) which may lack in nutrition and possibly lead to health adversities down the road such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, elevated cholesterol, bone density, digestive issues and hormone imbalances. When looking at your food choices, make sure to combine your choices with nutrient-rich foods looking once again at fat, fiber and protein.
If weight gain or loss is a concern, this may be combined with anxiety and depression. If thoughts of food are all-consuming in your everyday life, it may be difficult to maintain overall happiness without some assistance and support from family, friends or medical intervention. Don’t hesitate as there is help around the corner if needed.
It’s important to eat your delicious meal with enjoyment by being mindful with each bite and chewing it to the fullest (approximately 30 chews per bite). Your relationship with food plays an important role in how, when, where and what your nutritional plan needs. Trust in your gut (no pun intended) when choosing what’s right for you and your body to be as healthy as it can be.
Deborah Dittner is a family nurse practitioner and health consultant. Her mission is to transform as many individuals as possible through nutrition and lifestyle changes. www.debdittner.com