Have more freedom with food: releasing food rules with mindful eating.
In the series of tips for Intuitive Eating, mindful eating and releasing food rules are 2 steps that can take some time to work through. Take time to savor the foods you love, knowing variety and balance over time are key.
What gets in the way of being more mindful?
In consumer culture, January is considered “diet season”. I think this can be a result of our intuition going offline. Instead of reflecting on our actions, what works for me and what doesn’t, we focus on outcomes that may not be suited for us. Instead of seeing the value behind goals and how our unique selves respond to different regimens, we dive into the next diet or exercise routine on the internet, many times setting ourselves up for failure.
Mindless eating can help explain why we lose sight of our intuition, not just with food. Finding which resonate with you is the first step to being more aware of how you’re bypassing your needs and how you can start to tune in.
Emotional Triggers:
Stress, boredom, loneliness, sadness, or even happiness can trigger eating as a way to cope with emotions. Food can serve as a distraction or a source of comfort, leading to mindless consumption.
Habitual Behavior:
Eating can become a habitual response to certain cues or situations, like snacking while watching TV or grabbing food when passing by a certain place. These habits often bypass our conscious awareness.
External Cues:
Environmental factors such as the sight or smell of food, advertising, or social situations can prompt eating, regardless of actual hunger. For example, being in the vicinity of food or seeing others eat can trigger mindless eating behaviors.
Mindless Availability:
The easy accessibility of food, especially highly palatable and convenient snacks, can lead to mindless eating. If food is within reach or readily available, it's easier to consume without considering actual hunger cues.
Disconnected Eating:
Engaging in activities while eating, such as working, scrolling through devices, or multitasking, can disconnect you from the eating experience. This lack of attention to food and satiety signals can lead to overeating.
Food Rules
Food rules, while sometimes initiated with good intentions, can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and disconnect us from our body’s natural hunger and fullness cues, leading to a loss of intuitive eating habits, and mindless eating.
Avoidance of Specific Foods:
Restrictive eaters may completely eliminate certain food groups, types of foods (like carbs or fats), or specific items they consider "unhealthy" or "bad." This can lead to an overly limited diet lacking in essential nutrients.
Rigid Meal Timing:
Some individuals set strict schedules for when they should eat, such as only allowing themselves to eat at specific times or following a strict meal frequency (e.g., eating every two hours).
Calorie Counting or Tracking:
Constantly monitoring and restricting calorie intake or strictly measuring servings can lead to an unhealthy preoccupation with numbers rather than listening to the body's natural cues.
Labeling Foods as "Good" or "Bad":
Assigning moral value to foods, categorizing them as either good or bad often leads to guilt or shame associated with consuming "bad" foods, which can trigger anxiety and disordered eating patterns.
Dietary Fads or Extreme Restrictions:
Following extreme or unsustainable diets that promise quick results, often with very strict rules about which foods are allowed and which are not.
Eliminating Food Rules:
Letting go of food rules can be challenging, but it's incredibly freeing and beneficial for your overall relationship with food. Here are three ways to start this process:
Practice Mindful Eating:
Engage in mindful eating practices to reconnect with your body's cues and learn to trust them. Tune into hunger and fullness signals, pay attention to how different foods make you feel physically and emotionally, and savor the experience of eating without judgment. Mindful eating helps foster a healthier relationship with food by promoting awareness and enjoyment.
Challenge and Reframe Beliefs:
Identify the specific food rules you want to let go of and examine the beliefs behind them, any food that causes fear, anxiety or discomfort usually comes with a food rule. Ask yourself why you have these rules and whether they serve your well-being. Challenge the idea that certain foods are "good" or "bad." Reframe your thoughts about food by focusing on balance and variety as well as how the food makes you feel, instead of strict rules.
Gradual Exposure and Permission:
Gradually expose yourself to foods that you may have labeled as "off-limits." Start by giving yourself permission to include these foods in your diet. Focus on pairing them with foods that satiate you, for example, ice cream after a meal balanced with adequate protein and vegetables. Allow yourself to enjoy the foods without guilt or judgment, knowing that it may result in some discomfort and feelings of poor control in the beginning. This gradual exposure can help desensitize the allure of forbidden foods and diminish their power over your choices.
Remember, letting go of food rules takes time and patience. It's normal to feel uncomfortable or uncertain initially. Be compassionate with yourself and seek support from a nutritionist, therapist, or a supportive community if you find it challenging to navigate this journey on your own.
Embracing a more flexible and intuitive approach to eating can lead to a healthier and more balanced life in the long run.
We are founded on the belief that in everything we do, we are all craving happiness and joy, and feeling great in your body is the best way to achieve it.
NOTE: the information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice