7 Tips To Build A Healthier Relationship With Food

We’ve spent so many years of our lives thinking about the food we ate, feeling guilty about it, or making ourselves feel bad for eating a certain way.

Well, it’s 2021 and it’s time for us to work on building a healthier relationship with the food we eat. Food is morally neutral and it’s time we treat it that way!

Here are a few tips that can help you start on your journey.

1. Give Yourself Permission to Eat

One of the biggest things a lot of us deal with is not allowing ourselves to eat. If we eat “badly” in the morning, we won’t allow ourselves to eat the next meal, even if we’re hungry. This is a mindset we need to try and break. Even if you ate something you “think” you shouldn’t have, you should always eat again for your next meal.

2. Eat When You Feel Hungry

Having a bad relationship with food can cause us to punish our bodies, meaning we refuse to eat, even if we’re hungry. Next time you feel hungry, just allow yourself to eat something. Your body doesn’t know it’s being “punished”. Give it the nutrition it desires.

3. Chew Your Food More

Eating slower can allow you to not only digest your food better, but savor the food more in your body. The next time you go to eat something, chew slower and pay attention to every flavor in your mouth. This can help build a better appreciation for the food that you eat.

4. Don’t Restrict Foods

If you can help it, don’t restrict yourself from eating certain types of foods. This can cause a binge later down the line and make you feel even worse. Just eat the cake!

5. Cook At Home

Making your own food, and seeing all the ingredients you’re putting in can help you appreciate what you put into your body instead of a mindless takeout meal.

6. Seek Professional Help

It’s okay if you can’t do this yourself. This has been a lifelong process for you, and not being able to do it on your own is absolutely normal. Seek professional help and you’ll find yourself more successful than ever before.

7. Don’t Beat Yourself Up

You will still make mistakes. This is not a linear process. There will be many ups and downs and beating yourself up won’t help your progress in any way. Be kinder to yourself on this journey.

It’s going to be a long, hard journey. Even years from now, you may still have some moments where you feel bad about what you eat. The important part is going through the journey, learning about yourself and your body’s needs, and making tiny steps every single day to improve.