I love food, and I always have. It has the power to tell us a story, or immerse us in a memory. It can bring us together to share and connect. It can lift our spirits and be a source of comfort. But on the other hand, for some of us, it can be a source of stress.
How much sugar is in this? I shouldn’t be eating that. This isn’t healthy. I need to stick to a diet…
This beautiful, life-giving substance that we all need to survive can be tainted so easily.
I grew up in a you-can’t-leave-the-table-until-your-plate-is-clean household, and I was definitely stuck in my chair staring at the unappetizing remnants of my meal on more than one occasion.
Now don’t get me wrong, being an adult and buying my own groceries has helped me to realize how expensive food is and that putting anything to waste is never ideal. I can understand the lesson my parents were teaching, and it has certainly stuck with me. Financially, it makes sense. But physically? Mentally?
This lesson has definitely had an impact on my relationship with food, and I still struggle with the ingrained expectation to finish my plate even when I’m so full I could burst. I notice that when I’m not being mindful when I eat, my default mode is basically racing to see if I can finish before the fullness sets in.
As I’m putting these thoughts down, I’m realizing what a sad way this is to engage with food. Not every meal should be treated like a speed contest where you barely end up tasting the food at all.
Here’s the thing. Food is an essential, inevitable part of our lives. So why do we attach so much shame and guilt to certain foods and to our bodies? According to the fourth principle of Intuitive Eating, diet culture has told us which foods make us “good” and “bad”, and we should not let these unreasonable, guilt inducing rules control how we eat.
The sixth principle of Intuitive Eating definitely speaks to me, which is to Feel Your Fullness. This means to listen to your body and “observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full.” This might include pausing in the middle of eating and asking yourself how the food tastes. What a great way to check in with yourself and to be present!
As I said - I love food, and I always have, but I still feel the difficult ups and downs in my journey with intuitive eating, and that’s okay. Like many things in life, learning is a process, and learning to slow down and be present is one of the hardest, yet most important lessons of all.
References:
https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/
