A big part of intuitive eating is no longer looking at certain types of foods as good or bad, but just as food. You want to change your mindset to keep ALL food neutral, from cookies to oatmeal. Why?
Because when you label a food as bad, it can make you feel guilty for eating it. And when you label a food as good, you may feel like you need to eat it all the time to be healthy. Neither of these is a helpful attitude to have towards food!
Food, by the end of the day, all becomes fuel for your body, makes you feel good mentally or physically, and helps to nourish your body and soul. So, instead of thinking of foods as good or bad, think about how they make you feel BOTH physically and mentally. From there, you can start to get a better idea of what foods work best for your body.
Here are some reasons you need to stop looking at food as good or bad.
The Problem with Labeling Food “Right” or “Wrong”
Food shouldn’t have a moral value. Food is just food, and the sooner you can change into that mindset, the happier you will be.
When you label a food as “good,” it can make you feel like you need to eat it all the time to be healthy. Oftentimes, this is not the case! Just because a food is considered healthy doesn’t mean you need to eat it all the time. You should aim to have a balance of nutritious foods in your diet, but that doesn’t mean every meal needs to be a “healthy” one.
On the other hand, when you label a food as “bad,” it can make you feel guilty for eating it. This is often because we associate “bad” foods with being unhealthy. However, this isn’t always the case! There are plenty of “unhealthy” foods that can actually be good for you in moderation.
For example, chocolate has been shown to have some health benefits, like reducing stress levels, improving heart health, and more. But if you eat too much of it, it can obviously lead to weight gain and other health problems.
The same goes for “healthy” foods like nuts and seeds. They’re packed with nutrients, but eating too many of them can also lead to weight gain.
All Food is Just Fuel for Your Body
As aforementioned, all food is just fuel for your body. No one type of food is better than the other, they’re all just different.
Some foods might give you more energy, while others might make you feel more full. And some foods might just taste really good! But at the end of the day, they’re all just fuel for your body, providing the necessary fuel, energy, and nourishment for your body.
If you have been living for years thinking that sweets are only enjoyed on special occasions or that you shouldn’t eat bread more than once a day, it is time to let those thoughts go! All food can have a place in your diet, it just depends on how you want to feel.
Learn What Makes You Feel Good and Energized
If you want to stop labeling food as right or wrong, good or bad, you need to learn what works best for your body.
Try different things and see how they make you feel both physically and mentally. Some people might feel great after eating a salad, while others might feel more energized after eating a burger. And some people might just love the taste of kale!
You need to find what works best for YOUR body, and that might require some trial and error. But once you find what makes you feel good, it’ll be worth it!
Focus on what makes you feel good—not in your head but in your body. Start feeling every feeling, noticing what happens to your gut when you eat warm soup on a cold day, and if you have any good or bad feelings after eating a sandwich or a salad or a muffin or fruit.
When you eat more protein in the morning, do you have more energy? If you eat pasta for dinner, does it help make you sleepy? If you eat a lot of sugar, does it make your head hurt?
Start to really get in touch with how different foods affect you, and you’ll start to see which ones help you feel good and which ones don’t.
Labels often lead to binges. When you attach certain labels to food, you are putting yourself on some type of restriction, which can often lead to overeating.
Incorporate Intuitive Eating
One way to stop labeling food as right or wrong is to start incorporating intuitive eating into your life. Intuitive eating is all about listening to your body and giving it what it wants.
This means eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full. It means not depriving yourself of foods you love, but also not overeating just because it’s there. It’s all about finding that balance, and it can be a great way to stop labeling food as right or wrong.
With intuitive eating, you learn that food doesn’t hold value, and it shouldn’t have any numbers (like calories or WW points) attached to it. You eat what you want, when you want, and how much you want.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
When it comes to food, one of the worst things you can do is compare yourself to others. Just because someone else can eat a certain way doesn’t mean that you can. And just because someone else loves a certain food doesn’t mean that you have to.
You are an individual, and you should treat yourself as such. Eat the foods that make YOU feel good, not the foods that make someone else feel good.
Remember, there is no one right way to eat. There is no perfect diet. And there is no perfect food. There is only what works best for YOU and YOUR body. So, stop labeling food as right or wrong, and start listening to your body instead. It will thank you for it!
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