Pocket Snacks 9.26.24: You’ve been taught how to diet, not how to eat. Let me explain.
MINDSET TIP/SHIFT
“You've only been taught how to diet, not how to eat.” - Taylor Grasso, RDN (@simplyhealthyrd)
Can you remember how old you were when you learned that certain foods were “good” or “bad?” I asked this question a few weeks ago in a previous batch of Snacks, but if I had to guess, you were younger than 10.
I was 3.
Because we equate eating with guilt in many western cultures and because we spend a fair amount of energy worrying about how much and what we're eating, we miss out on a lot of the fun and enjoyment that food could bring us. Many of us have grown up thinking of some foods as “good” and some foods as “bad.”
There are a number of reasons why it's problematic to think of foods in moralized terms. First of all, most foods contain many different nutrients, so they're rarely entirely bad or entirely good. Second, when you feel like a food is bad and forbidden, it often makes you desire that food much more. In other words, how we think about and label food can change how much we want it. Also, when we label food as “bad” we're more likely to feel guilty for eating it. This label can change how much we enjoy food – in particular, the foods that are often meant to be special, or parts of celebrations. If your friend/partner/parent makes your favorite cake for your birthday, enjoy it and relish this part of celebrating your special day.
*This is a perfect example of Intuitive Eating Principle #5:
Discover the Satisfaction Factor
In our compulsion to comply with diet culture, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence—the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes just the right amount of food for you to decide you’ve had “enough.”
Another thing I love to say is that all foods provide us with some sort of nourishment, and that includes physical and mental nourishment. If food was just fuel, then we wouldn't feel any kind of emotion when we eat it. But truly, one of my favorite aspects of nutrition is the memories we create when we share food with those we care about.
5️⃣ Everyday Adjustments to Change the Way You Think About Health
It's possible that you don't necessarily feel like you need counseling or help from a registered dietitian, but you'd like to work on your body image and are invested in creating a world where it is easier for people to have a positive view of themselves. My hope is that this newsletter inspires you to rethink how you perceive your body, how you take care of your body, how your relationships affect your body image, and your mental health in general.
Below are some ways you can help shift the cultural discourse about bodies, and you can start implementing these today ⬇️
1️⃣ Don't comment only on people's appearance
When we keep comments focused on our appearance, we leave out conversations about more important things in our lives. Challenge yourself to ask people about their hobbies, interests, and what they are doing, without focusing so much on how people look. This may feel weird at first, because even strangers are likely to respond positively when we tell them we like their shirt or hair. But you may be surprised at how positively strangers, friends, and acquaintances may respond to conversations about the weather, a movie or show you've seen recently, or even a new recipe you tried the other night. This isn't to say you can't ever comment on others' appearance, but that you could try to shift most conversations to other topics.
2️⃣ Don't congratulate weight loss
Be careful not to assume that weight loss is always good. Often weight loss is a sign of a health problem or a disordered relationship with food. When we compliment weight loss, we reinforce the cultural value system that links weight, health, and attractiveness far more than it should. We can push back against cultural messages surrounding diet products and plans by taking care not to celebrate our own or others' weight loss. After all, our body size is not the most important thing about us!
3️⃣ Curate your social media
One of the things we all like about social media is that it's interactive, and we can help to curate our feeds by liking and following certain people and topics. We can help to make mental health-focused and body-positive social media popular by choosing to engage with it and blocking content that is not helpful to us. It can be fun to keep up with popular culture, fashion, and wellness trends. But viewing a lot of that content every day is not conducive to positive body image as it sucks us into fads and unscientific approaches to health and well-being.
4️⃣ Enjoy food
We all need to nourish our bodies, but we should not adhere to trendy diets that keep us from enjoying food. It is important to develop eating habits that we can sustain over time and are good for both our physical and mental health. Eating is a form of self-care, but the pull of diet culture is strong. It can take effort to remind ourselves that we deserve to enjoy food.
5️⃣ Develop other interests
It may seem like your appearance is a “project” that requires a lot of time and energy. But it doesn't have to. What if you invested more of that energy into other hobbies, interests, and/or even volunteer work?
*This list is curated from Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life by Dr. Charlotte Markey
MEDIA REC (podcast episodes)
The Food Freedom Lab: Holiday Series with Ryann Prentice
Ep. 153 - How Your Thinking is Fueling Your Binges
Ep. 154 - Your Brain Tricks You Into Believing You Can't Trust Yourself Around Food
If you're the kind of person who tells yourself you can't buy Halloween candy because you'll eat the entire bag, these podcast episodes are for you! Trust me, it's not the food that is the problem. It's the way you're thinking about the food that is the problem! Another way to put this: do you want to spend every holiday season (starting with Halloween) feeling out of control around fun foods? Or are you ready to try something different? If restricting and telling yourself not to eat the food was a solution, it would have worked already…
Series Description:
Are you feeling the holiday food frenzy creeping up already? You're not alone. We're diving deep into those unhelpful thoughts that keep fueling the binge fire. I'll share my own experiences with food scarcity and the back-and-forth battle of wanting holiday goodies while fearing them at the same time. We'll explore how your thoughts around food aren't the problem—it's the thinking that follows. This episode is packed with mindset shifts to help you get ready for the holidays, whether you're just starting your healing journey or ready to level up. If you've been trapped in the binge-restrict cycle year after year, this is your sign to start changing that now!
🎙️ Listen to The Food Freedom Lab on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
SNACK/FOOD/RECIPE (recipe)
Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas
Eating seasonally is a very practical (and underrated) part of nutrition. If you're curious about which produce is in season, an easy way to tell is that certain fruits and vegetables are often on sale at the grocery store due to their abundance. If something is unusually affordable, it might be in season! For fall, some common seasonal produce includes apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, pears, squash (like butternut squash), and Brussels sprouts. That's why this recipe stood out to me! It's a great combo of seasonal ingredients, and it's been a minute since I've had butternut squash 😋
Click the photo below for a downloadable PDF of this recipe 🍁
Photo and recipe credit: The Minimalist Baker
Did you enjoy this week's batch of snacks? Let me know!
Want to share this batch of Eden's Weekly Pocket Snacks with a friend? Simply forward this email to them or text them this LINK!
Xo,
Eden
- PS -
Want to work with me 1:1 or join my monthly support group?
