What Feels Does Food Give You?

What feels does food give you?

6/14/2018

Author: Kylie Viens, RDN

If we think of our body as if it were a car, we know our car needs adequate fuel to start and get us where we need to go. Our bodies truly are no different, as they need optimal fuel to “go”—not to mention, thrive and survive.

If you were to think of eating as a way of refueling, and base your decisions purely off of how your body would respond, would your food choices change? What if you had no tastebuds and an infinite amount of money. What would you eat then?

Having a healthy relationship with food is a very important and not commonly talked about issue in our society. The following article is one Registered Dietitian Nutritionist's brief insight onto the topic!

It's very normal for me to hear from my patients that when they eat better they feel better, and science continues to prove this reflection as having much validity.

The answers to what I've asked you so far are fairly obvious, but we are emotional and feeling beings, thusly not every food will provide us with the same sense of satisfaction.

All foods whether they are nutrient dense or not, serve a purpose—some for nutrition, some for the soul, and that's okay!

The 80/20 Rule

No one has a perfect diet (even dietitians!); however, there is a rule that applies to many aspects of life called the Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule.

This isn’t a bad way to look at the big picture, meaning that if you can focus on nutrient dense foods 80% of the time, and enjoy your grandma’s homemade macaroni and cheese or brownies 20% of the time—there’s a good chance you will maintain a healthy weight and lessen your risk for chronic diseases.

You could also think of filling your plate following this rule!

The 80/20 rule as it pertains to nutrition.

A healthy relationship with food most certainly includes our comfort food favs as it helps us be in tune with what will both satisfy hunger and our tastebuds. Further, it is not absurd to eat outside of physical hunger, or something we should be guiltily beating ourselves up about.

There are many reasons as to why we eat other than just responding to our biological hunger signals.

In terms of emotional eating, food will not fix feelings of boredom, stress, procrastination, depression, sadness, anxiety, and so forth.

Although a normal reaction to reach for food, it is important to find healthy ways to cope with emotional feelings outside of eating.

Listen to your Body

Eating should be an enjoyable experience! Unfortunately, the society we live in today has made that more than a challenge for many. Eating should not create feelings of regret, remorse, guilt, or questioning one’s will-power!

Physical activity, meditation, talking to a friend or family member, starting an art project, and gardening are just some examples of “outs” for people without pursuing food to suppress feelings.

If you are interested in taking your commitment level up a notch, personal food logs can be a valuable tool for assessing not only the type and quantity of food and beverage consumption, but also our feelings before, during, and after eating a particular meal or snack.

Taking the time to evaluate our feelings may help us better understand our reasons for eating and how our feelings are associated with how much or how little we consume.

I strongly recommend Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch*. This is an excellent read on developing a healthy relationship with food and trusting (or rediscovering) our natural ability to respond to a variety of food signals.

If you’re fed up with dieting and ready to live your life without scrutiny of your food choices, give this quick read a look!

*I have no stake in the recommendation of this book.

Conclusion

Eating healthy doesn't have to be such a puzzle or stressful part of your day. There are simple tips, like the 80/20 rule and eating intuitively that can help you make good decisions in regards to your diet.

Talk to a Dietitian

Tell Me More!

Blog