The topic of nutrition is one of my favorite ones. I always say what you eat plays a great role in your life. Even more than sport does. And I want to touch upon eating behavior rules. Of course, some of them are harmless and make you smile but the others can cause serious problems.
Some years ago this topic had no interest at all. But as time goes by, we see more and more products on the shelves. And due to many marketing schemes we buy more than we actually need. Again, social media adds fuel to the fire. We constantly see new perceptions of beauty and it leads to some psychological problems as well. Especially among people who have low self-esteem.
Also some marketing ploys focus on the fact that this or that product is harmful for your health. So that people start being phobic and exclude many product groups from their ration.
Moreover, there are too much information and too many so called specialists on the Internet who give you the wrong advice on your nutrition. Some people may ignore it, but the others take it as the truth and then have huge problems which can turn their lives into a nightmare. As you can guess, I mean eating disorder which is quite a serious thing that requires treatment.
I want to share with you several rules that will help you reduce the likelihood of getting eating disorder.
I think, it’s time to get acquainted with the rules. So let’s start.
Food is not a reward
No matter if we speak about a child or an adult, we can’t say that food is an option of treatment as it can cause the developing of eating disorder. When you are treated with a sweet, there is a certain scheme ingrained in your psyche. Like all the food that you consider to be tasty you can’t eat for no reason, you need to deserve it. You give special importance to such category of food that makes it even more desirable and you’ll have an unhealthy crush for it. As a result, any diet will be accompanied by breakdowns by means of eating too much treats.
Food is not a punishment
You mustn’t make a person (again, be it a child or an adult) eat something he doesn’t like to eat something that he likes. In this case he’ll also will treat any dessert like a reward. If he has already got full and doesn’t want to eat more, don’t make him eat everything to the last crumb. There’s nothing good in depriving yourself of food to be punished or in making yourself eat products you are sick of. It all has implications.
Listen to your body
In a perfect world you eat when you want to eat and stop eating when you don’t want anymore. If you want to reduce the risk of eating disorder, you need to eat only when you really feel hungry and know when to stop if you’re already satisfied. Cook less or share your food with someone but don’t overeat. There is nothing good in eating by forcing yourself. Remember that and listen to your body.
Distinguish hunger and appetite
Hunger appears when your body needs and requires nutrients. Appetite is a psychological need for food which is caused by the desire to enjoy something or dull the pain, apathy and so on. We must differ real physical hunger from desire to chew something just for fun or out of boredom. It’s not a secret that one of the overeating’s main reasons is lots of free time.
Get rid of associations
It touches upon lots of situations. For example, you always buy a coconut-milk cappuccino on your way to work. It doesn’t matter whether you want it right now or not. It’s just a habit. Or you may drink more alcohol than usual at a party because everyone does it. Or you get used to watching movies and eating chips just because you’re constantly doing that. Again, when you’re uncomfortable to drink tea without sweets. It’s all about habits we need to get rid of. But it’s just a matter of time.
Accept that food is just food
Always keep that rule in mind. Food isn’t forbidden or imposed. It doesn’t need to be feared or obsessed with. It doesn’t need to be divided into good or bad or any other groups. You need to remember that you can eat any food at any time. So there is no need to eat everything you keep in the fridge at one time.
Plan what to eat
If you don’t care what to eat in advance, you may start visiting different public places and eating too much extra calories. It’s good if you have prepared food in advance before. Otherwise, there’s a plenty good chance you’re going to order pizza. It all happens not because it’s pizza that you exactly want right now. It’s just a matter of planning and you are too tired and lazy to cook something now.
The less restrictions, the better
The less restrictions you have in your life, the less risks you’ll have addiction to this or that food. Don’t exclude products without medical reasons. Don’t exclude gluten if you don’t suffer from celiac disease. Don’t exclude lactose if you’re not lactose intolerant. Don’t exclude meat if you like it. And this goes for everything.
All these rules are good both for children and adults. They do work and help reduce the risk of getting eating disorder. And the main thought I want to put to you is that your attitude towards food forms from the early age. Remember that if you have and raise a child.
Eating disorder is the most common reason of obesity that leads to numerous health problems. So isn’t it better not to gain extra kilos and be healthy now then to get rid of them and constantly feel sick because of it afterwards?
And of course, remember everything you do, you do it for yourself.
