Improving Your Relationship with Food and Body Image

[Moses joel Adetokunbo]

Many people have a lot of "shoulds" when it comes to eating. We tell ourselves what we should and shouldn't eat, but many of these beliefs are based on limited or false information from external sources. Instead of trusting our own internal wisdom and appetites, we rely on outside authorities and lose touch with our ability to listen to our bodies.

We often focus on what we should eat, but neglect how we eat. In our busy lives, we forget to slow down and truly enjoy our food. Additionally, the constant messages about good versus bad food can hinder us from listening to our bodies and understanding how different foods affect us.

According to Ellyn Satter, a social worker and registered dietician, normal eating involves:
- Going into a meal hungry and stopping when you're satisfied.
- Choosing foods you enjoy without feeling obligated to stop because you think you should.
- Considering nutrition while still allowing yourself enjoyable food.
- Occasionally giving yourself permission to eat for emotional reasons or simply because it feels good.
- Eating three meals a day (or more) or snacking as needed.
- Trusting your body's ability to self-regulate even after overeating or undereating.

By letting go of external expectations and tuning into our bodies' needs, we can develop healthier relationships with food.