Eating Better Got Easier When “I can’t have that” Turned Into “I don’t want that”.

I love this quote! Telling ourselves we CAN’T have something just makes us want it more. It’s about being deprived. It’s about a food being “bad” and we are therefore bad for eating it.

I had a friend (a fellow counselor) who was allergic to chocolate. I had never heard of anyone being allergic to chocolate and I said, “That must be terrible!”. But her answer surprised me. She said, “I don’t feel bad about it. Chocolate would hurt me, so I don’t even want it.” I had never thought about it like that!

Eating better starts with thinking differently. Here are some ways to think differently about food:

· There are no “good” or “bad” foods-some are just more healthful than others.

· Acknowledge when you like a food that is not that healthful-it doesn’t make you a bad person.

· It’s okay to eat our favorite less-healthful foods occasionally-they are not strictly forbidden unless your doctor says so.

· Take some time to really appreciate the benefits of a healthy food while you’re eating it.

· Every time you eat healthy food, think of it as an accomplishment. Don’t dwell on those times when you ate something that was not that healthy.

As a Health Coach, I know that eating better starts with thinking differently about food. If you’d like to have help to think differently about food and eat better, call or text me!