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Improving your Relationship with Food
Improving your relationship with food involves developing a healthier and more positive attitude toward food and eating.
As a busy mum, I know too well how my relationship with food often suffers due to lack of time, being stressed, or simply not being prepared when it comes to eating healthy.
The most common problem seen in new mums is the yo-yo effect that happens when you restrict various food intake and then binge on unhealthy food as the diet becomes unmanageable and too hard.
This not only affects your mental health but your physical health too.
Overcoming this cycle isn’t an easy task but it’s definitely worth it, especially because eating healthy food is beneficial for both your mental and physical health.
This is why I have begun to take on the mindset that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet.
It’s all about balance and once you have practiced it enough, it will become second nature and become a lot easier to implement into your daily life.
This article will help highlight and encourage you how improving your relationship with food by implementing a few practical tips that work for busy mums.
Avoid Restrictive Diets
Rather than following strict diets or eliminating entire food groups that are never going to be sustainable, aim for a balanced and varied diet that includes a wide range of foods that you enjoy and still live life comfortably.
Grocery Shopping
Finding the right time before you go grocery shopping is important.
It is not the best idea to food shop when you are feeling exhausted and hungry.
You might end up buying foods that aren’t healthy. Instead, wait until you are in the mood before you start shopping for groceries.
You can also start ordering your groceries online. I love doing this, not only does it save hours of your time but you are saving money by only sticking to your list and ensuring you are buying healthy and nutritious foods.
Create a Weekly Meal Plan
Creating a meal plan each week can be a way on improving your relationship with food.
This will ensure you are organised and within budget but more importantly, can ensure you are not tempted into buying any foods you shouldn’t be!
It’s always a good idea to have a plan before heading out to the grocery store so that you know what to buy, and where it’s located in the store.
Start by creating your weekly menu. I have a free Meal Planner and Grocery List when you sign up below, you can use it to make this whole process easier. I use mine all the time!
If you are stuck on ideas you can google healthy and delicious recipes for inspiration.
I use a program called The Healthy Mummy to help with my meal planning. The app has thousands of recipes to choose from and even generates a grocery list for even more convenience.
With thousands of recipes, you simply filter from a wide variety of categories including vegan, vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and many more.
This program for me has helped me lose weight, get healthy and increase my fitness with an all-in-one program used by over a million mums.
Meal Prep
Making time for meal prep and cooking makes your life a lot easier in the long run and my tip for improving your relationship with food.
Why meal prep for improving your relationship with food? I find meal prepping the biggest advantage to staying on track and eating healthy on those busy days of work, school, and evening sports.
Setting aside 1-2 hours on a day that suits you, for me its Sunday, to chop, portion, organise your meals, and cook and freeze can make the difference between staying on track and giving up due to not having a meal organised and opting for takeaway or highly processed foods.
Balance
Balance is key.
No one is perfect 100% of the time and neither should you. Enjoying a balanced variety of foods that you enjoy and food that excites you will keep you going and help stick to this healthy lifestyle.
Prioritise Nutritious Foods over Sweet
Improving your relationship with food can be as easy as ensuring you are eating nutritious and delicious food. Make sure the food is what you enjoy to make this lifestyle change and your relationship with food an easier journey.
Ensuring you eat healthy each day will enable you to still have a night out, still have a dessert, or enjoy a glass of wine.
Keeping Healthy Food and Snacks on Hand
Ensuring you are equipped with a healthy meal or snack is vital for your ongoing success and will make all the difference in helping to keep you on track.
Keeping a small snack handy for those moments when you feel like you need something quick will ensure you are eating healthy instead of a processed and highly sugary meal or snack.
Mindful Eating
Tuning into your body and recognising when you are hungry and when you are bored and grabbing something to eat ‘just because’ can be handy in practicing mindful eating.
I use my journal and food diary to help assess and evaluate my eating over a period of time to help recognise any habits with my eating.
I did this by recording the times, the food, and my mood each time I ate. This then allowed me to look back and identify any unwanted eating habits.
For example – Each night after dinner I would sit and eat dessert. For no reason other than that’s what I did each night.
By identifying this I changed my nightly behaviour to a cup of tea and I meal-prepped a healthy low-carb slice.
Using a Food Diary
Using a food diary not only can be useful for helping and assisting mindful eating, but it can also help to record your daily macros and help guide you to eat healthier.
Recording your daily food intake can help your journey to a healthier lifestyle by identifying your daily calorie intake and help to keep you within your daily target not only for macros but for nutrition and essential vitamins and minerals.
Once you start recording your entries of food you eat daily, you will become more aware of the foods you are eating and this will help you identify and make changes for the better.
Positive Affirmations
Using positive affirmations daily can help strengthen your mindset and reduce negative thinking.
Getting into a routine can help your healthy food and eating habits and help you to stay motivated and on track.
Developing Self-Compassion
It’s important to always be kind to yourself during your journey to a healthier balanced lifestyle. If you slip up or make a less healthy food choice, remember that one meal or snack doesn’t define your overall relationship with food.
Just ensure you make good healthy choices at your next meal.
Healthy and Social
Maintaining a social network is just as important as your healthy eating.
When dining out, try and choose the healthiest option that is still exciting and appealing to you.
Don’t let the worry of a social event interfere with your health goals, Instead learn how to incorporate them both.
Reading Food Labels
Getting familiar with food labels when shopping will help you to identify what is in the food you are consuming.
This will also help you to identify the nutritional benefits and the amount of sugars and preservatives in the product.
A lot of foods these days are marketed as healthy but in fact are packed full of additives, sugars, and preservatives.
As a rule of thumb, aim to eat fresh, whole foods.
Remember your ‘Why’
Reminding yourself of the reason why you have embarked on this healthy lifestyle will reinforce and help ensure you remain focused and on track.
Improving your Relationship with Food – Final Thoughts
Having a healthy relationship with food and finding ways to maintain this through your lifestyle takes time to adjust to and form part of your routine daily.
Nothing happens overnight but over time you will see these good habits happen effortlessly and eventually naturally without much thought.
How is your relationship with food? Have you thought about improving your relationship with food?
Have you found a way to maintain your relationship with food? Let me know on my socials.
Amy xx
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