Your Healthy Relationship With Food

photo credit: woordenaar

I didn’t always appreciate food. Sure, I loved the sweets and couldn’t get enough of nachos and chicken fingers but food, real wholesome, from the Earth food - not so much. I never saw the value in vegetables, the fun in fruit, or the simplicity of salad as being worthy of my attention.

But now things are different. Whether it was my time in China away from my ‘comfort foods’ or the many months where I had barely any money at all for food, I changed the way I looked at it forever.

Need to start changing the way you eat? More than any diet tips or fancy workouts, I suggest changing the way you eat. Find the enjoyment in all foods and make eating one of the enjoyable parts of your life. Can’t think of any ideas? Read on for some quick tips.

1. Go to the grocery store with no intention to buy anything

Whenever I need a quick boost, I walk to the grocery store near my house just to appreciate the big, bold, beautiful colors. There’s something about the reds and greens of the apples, the clever displays of asparagus that my grocery store has, and the crates filled with exotic fruit from all over the world. If you ever need proof of abundance, it’s right there.

2. Stroll through a farmer’s market

When I lived in Boston, one of my favorite things to do was walk through this small farmer’s market that would go up during the summers in the Brookline neighborhood. Not only do you get to see the food, you see the people who are connected to it. I love being around people who are passionate. Strike up a conversation. Ask questions. Buy something simple. You’ll see food in a new light.

3. Eat blindfolded

Get someone you trust to make a meal or snack for you. But don’t let your eyes do the eating. By putting on a blindfold, you’ll heighten your other senses, especially smell and taste. This is one of those ways you can tap into actual taste, not just perceived taste.

4. Slow down

Eating doesn’t have to be a race. Don’t let your future focused thinking get in the way of enjoying food right now. You’ll get that project done. You can reply to that email soon. But in that moment, your food deserves your attention.

5. Make a meal of tiny portions

The problem with our food portions today is not just the size - it’s the psychology behind it. If you’re faced with a giant portion, you have absolutely no incentive to enjoy it. So, create tiny versions of your favorite meals. When you know that your food will be gone soon, you’ll do whatever it takes to enjoy it with full gusto.

6. Watch your words

When you eat, please watch what you say. Our system of labels such as good, bad, cool, gross, and yummy do no justice to the food we eat. Find new words to describe the taste - don’t operate on judgment alone. Find the essence of the food you’re eating.

7. Do your own pairings

It seems like there’s so many rules about how to pair a wine and different meats, cheeses, and the like. Those are fun to follow but your intuition is an even better tool. Whether it’s wine or a bottle of sparkling water, create a deliberate pair and pay attention to how they work together. Some will be great and some will be magical. Trust yourself to find the magical.

8. Grow your own vegetables

This is something very new to me. Right now, I’m in the process of growing my own cucumbers. I never thought I had a green thumb but let me tell you, those cucumbers are ready to come out of their seeds. I’m excited to see what happens. Am I going to enjoy these cucumbers more than the ones in the store? You bet.

9. Pray

You don’t have to be religious to pray. All you need is to take a moment before you eat to say thanks for the food you’ve been given. If you’re going to make it routine, don’t do it all. Be genuine. Imagine any days you’ve struggled to have any food at all. Keep those in mind who don’t have any. Show gratitude.

10. Volunteer at a food bank

I know there’s tons of causes fighting for your attention right now. But if there’s one cause we all need to be focused on, it’s providing food for everyone. If you don’t have the time to volunteer, see if your grocery store has a program where you can buy a bag of groceries to donate. I’ve had too many times where I worried about where food was coming from to not do this now.

11. Spend 1 day (not Thanksgiving) cooking a meal

Do you ever find it strange that the big food companies are the ones marketing that cooking is such a bothersome task? They market it as if it’s the biggest waste of time. Look at cooking as investment. Make an ordinary meal special. Get everyone involved to cook if you can. Show your kids how to be invested in the food they eat.

12. Stop drinking soda

There’s only one specific time I let myself drink soda. And that’s only if I’m going to Zaftig’s in Brookline to get a hot corned beef on challah bread. I can’t imagine anything going better with it than a Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda. It reminds me of going to Jewish delis in my childhood. But a daily habit of soda is not something you chose. It was forced upon you by the soda companies. Be bigger than they are. Find the appreciation for water instead.

13. Make your dining table be a place you want to be.

For all the things you love to do, create a space that is special for it. Eating deserves the same attention. Flowers, a simple rock garden, little reminders of gratitude and hope - these can all make the eating experience more special. I know there’s a ton of distractions wanting to pull you away from eating. But you’ll enjoy your food more if you sit and be present with it.

14. Turn off the TV

Why do I want you to have a great dining table? Because I want you to stop eating in front of the TV. I can’t help it, it’s just one of those behaviors that we have come to accept (hello, TV dinners?) that we need to change. There is nothing wrong with sitting, cutting up your food, and just paying attention to what food tastes like. If you do this right, it will be one of the best parts of your day.

15. Practice food photography

I know that most of us want to travel - but it’s not always in our budget. But you can travel around where you live and take pictures of the food you see. Find the adventure where you live. Prepare something unique and photograph the experience. Create what I like to call a positive food experience. You could even make a scrapbook and journal about the adventure. It doesn’t only have to be cupcakes - find the beauty in cucumbers, turnips, and kale all the same.

Not only am I a little bit hungry after reading this, I’m excited that this is my real first post on the Eating In The Now Teacher blog. I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you in the future. I invite you to leave a comment so we can start a dialogue about changing the way we eat.

Also, if you want to revitalize the way you eat and begin a healthy relationship with food, I invite you to download your FREE report - The 10 Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Relationship With Food. Inside this report, you’ll find the traps you’re falling into each and every day that keep you from getting the body you desire.