Did you know that the very foods that diet culture demonizes are the ones that sustain us in times of scarcity, illness, financial insecurity…and always? One thing that you need to realize is that all food is food. Things like protein bars, dried fruits & nuts, boxes of pasta, canned goods, etc… are all things that can provide our bodies with nourishment and can/should be part of our diet. However, because we’ve lived in this privileged world all we focus on is fresh, fresh, fresh, and very low carb foods all the time, and now due to COVID we are constantly worrying about stocking our pantries with things that are going to last for weeks on end, and that can bring a lot of fear. Recognizing where this fear comes from is huge and learning how food breaks down can be a very important skill. So here is what you need to know…all All food breaks down into protein, fat, and carbs which are the three macronutrients that fuel our bodies and makeup all the food we eat no matter what type of food it is. When we come to terms with this, it will not only help decrease our anxiety around food, but it will also allow us to feel more at peace around food and our relationship with food during this stressful time. The quote in this image from @foodandfearless really shines a light on the point I’m trying to get across here… “why we eat > what we eat”. There is literally so much more to nutrition and health than what we eat.
“Obsessing about health does not make you a healthier person”
I think that this is a very crucial quote right now that we need to keep at the forefront of our minds. Obsessing over health all the time does not make us healthier. We must first remove the judgment, shame, and guilt and begin to focus on our behaviors and start to question why they are the way they are. What if we became curious about our behaviors during this time, instead of being shameful, guilty, or judgemental? We are all doing the best we can.
This is a beautiful image from @foodandfearless that I think speaks volumes to where we are right now. We always think we’re not where we should be. So the dot on the left is “where I think I am” and we always think we should be 10-20 steps ahead of where we currently are. But what you should be focusing on is you’ve done the best you can, you’re doing the best you can, and you can continuously move forward and take that approach of, “I am where I need to be and continue to move forward in a way that works for me.” It’s so easy with social media, to play into that comparison trap of being a certain way, looking a certain way, or doing certain things because we’re looking at other people’s highlight reel. But as soon as you allow yourself to escape that false reality, and remember that you are your own unique individual that has completely different needs than anyone else you follow on social media, you will begin to realize that you are exactly where you should be at this moment.
Health is multifaceted. So many other factors besides food determine our health. In order to support all aspects of our wellbeing we must give ourselves permission to eat all foods in order to feel nourished and satisfied both mentally and physically. Food brings so much more to the table than what diet culture forces us to believe. When we hyperfocus on the physical aspect of food, we tend to forget all of the other ways that food nourishes us. Yes, food is fuel, but it is also SO MUCH MORE. We all deserve to eat without guilt, shame, or judgement regardless of what we ate yesterday, the amount of exercise we did or didn’t do in a day, the shape and size of our body, or whatever diet some influencer on social media is telling us to follow.
Nutrition is a part of our health, but it is not the ultimate determinant. It’s ok to enjoy food fully and be flexible with your food decisions without feeling guilt or shame. If you feel like you are ready to take steps toward ditching dieting and gaining food freedom after reading this blog, we have a dietitian team who would love to work with you. Click here to get started!
