Relationships are hard. They demand a high level of commitment to find a way to make it work. We cannot just give up because the situation is not ideal. So looking back, after quite several years of a dysfunctional relationship with FOOD, it’s clear to me now that it’s not essentially about WHAT you eat, but WHEN and HOW you do it.
Like much of the world, I have come across a wide range of dieting strategies since the moment I became aware of my physique. I have tried thousands of healthy recipes, tips and meal ideas. Constantly coming across headlines like “How to eat healthy and loose weight” or “Diets are from Venus, My Body from Mars” (pun intended). It even got to a point where I was depriving myself to actually enjoy food in any way.
Think about it, most of the time we ignore how strong of a connection our body and the food we eat have. So for my body to respond to wether diet that I find and believe works best for me, I had to find a way for both to work perfectly.
After some research I came across life changing mindsets and habits that are improving my relationship with food into a whole different level of compatibility. Here you’ll find a small introduction to each one of them, keep in mind that during the process of integrating them into your life you’ll end up creating a method that will work best for you once you start feeling the positive changes.
Mindful Eating
We must be aware and have a full understanding of the reason why we are eating. It is about honouring your food, contemplating where it comes from and what are the benefits that it will bring you. Once your body is conscious during this process, it will respond in a positive way.
Tips:
- Remember to keep in mind that you must involve your senses when eating, perceive it’s beauty and taste.
- Try to chew slowly because it will allow you to be aware of the act. This helps to taste and digest food better. Slow eating leads to more enjoyment and stops you from over eating.
Healthy Hunger
Yes, feeling hungry drives us right on edge, but after three hours or so of not eating, the body is ready to work into the carbohydrates that get stored in your liver, and that is a good thing. Of course, once you start feeling the first signs of Hangry Syndrome, pull out that healthy snack!
Overnight Fasting
Fun fact: Are you aware that our body burns fat, our brain resets and every organ cleanses in the middle of the night during our sleep? With overnight fasting we are literally burning fat that turns into ketone bodies that fuel our brain and heart.
So give your body the opportunity to fulfil its purpose and make sure you have a period of 14 hours of fasting between dinner and breakfast.
It is believed that during this type of diet you’re allowed to eat whatever you want, whenever you want with no food limitations, but I highly recommend to maintain a healthy diet with all the nutrients your body requires to keep your metabolism working properly.
How does this work? For example, avoid eating anything after 7 or 8 pm until breakfast the next day, that means NO LATE SNACKS.
Timing is a priority
It all revolves around timing. Respect your meal times. We constantly face different challenges regarding our schedules, we tend to manage our meals around our daily routines instead of the opposite as it should be.
When you skip any of the meals of the day, you will definitely mess up your metabolism and eating process. Remember that you should be given the opportunity to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with ease. Our time to eat should be a priority.
Cheat meal
Rewarding yourself its essential for your mind, body and life itself. Nothing happens if you decide to fulfil those mouthwatering desires twice a week, as well as you should not limit yourself during special occasions like dinner parties or birthday cakes.
Enjoy your moment without guilt. Balance your life, cheat meals are necessary for your diet to be effective because they work as motivation, they give you freedom without falling into excesses.
These changes might not be simple and they would require a great amount of compromise, but you will definitely experience a real, lasting and healthy relationship with food in your life. These changes are going to make a difference in your body and lifestyle.