Nutrition in the News: How to Be a Happy Eater
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Food should make you feel good and keep you smiling!
As a subscriber to SELF, I read the article “Secrets of Happy Eaters” as soon as the magazine graced my mailbox. However, I didn’t think to post it as a nutrition in the news article until one of my best friends asked me why I hadn’t! After thinking about it for a few minutes, I couldn’t think of a reason not to. Instead of the normal how to lose weight, what not to eat and how to eat articles, this one takes the approach of how to regain a health relationship with food. Food is something we need in order to survive and so many of us have tormented ourselves with it to the point we have a very negative relationship with everything we put into our mouths. Food is something you should enjoy, not feel guilt over or hate, and this article really pushes us to regain that mentality.
The Secrets
The key to really loving food? Eat everything! [via]
Since I think you should all read the entire article (you can here!), I’m only going to divulge a few of the secrets listed. But these are the ones I think are the most important to remember, especially if you are struggling with weight loss and self-esteem.
- Happy eaters go on fewer diets
A study done by SELF found that women who start dieting earlier, like before age 20, are more likely to make dieting a part of their adult lifestyle. Instead of dieting, just try to eat healthier everyday. We aren’t robots, so some days we are going to have wine for dinner or French fries for lunch, but we just need to be mindful of how we eat the rest of the day. Also, base how you eat on how you feel, instead of eating a food b/c it’s “diet friendly” or will help you lose weight. One reader said that they avoid fried food not because it’s bad or fatty, but because they have IBS and it makes it flair up. Other readers mentioned that they don’t eat certain foods solely based on how they feel after. Life is too short to be spent on a diet, just try to be healthier and you’ll be shocked at how much happier you become.
- Happy eaters splurge without having guilt or regrets
We aren’t perfect, and some days, we want to have one, or six, bowls of ice-cream. Although it’s not healthy, it’s life, and there is not one person who eats perfectly all the time. The study found that over 90% of SELF readers distinguished between good and bad foods. As I’ve said before, along with other dietitians and nutritionists, food should never be seen this way, it should be seen as something you have to have for nutrients. Instead of categorizing a certain food as bad, just mentally label it as something you should have less frequently. As a kid, how many of you did something just because your parents told you not to? I know I did. Same goes for food. Studies have found that those people who banish a certain food from their diet in order to lose weight have a higher chance of binge eating and over-indulging on that food later. If you want to be a happy eater, it’s easy, just enjoy every morsel of your splurge and treat it almost like a reward. We are all going to splurge in our lifetimes, so why not enjoy every second of it?
- Happy eaters eat everything!
This point I couldn’t agree more with. Happy eaters don’t limit themselves to foods they are comfortable with or know, they try foods outside of their comfort zone, whether they look/sound gross or not. Although I can be a picky eater (I won’t eat it if it’s slimy, smells bad or looks gross), that doesn’t stop me from trying just about everything that crosses my path. Although I’m still far from being a self-declared happy eater, I know that my love for food, traveling and experiencing new cultures will help me get there. According to a study done by SELF, over 34% of non-happy eaters limit certain food groups from their diet. So how do you vary your diet to include new things? Start with adding new vegetables to your favorite casseroles, stir fries and pastas. The more natural color on your dinner plate, the healthier it is. Who said your food can’t be as bright and fun as you?
The key to being a happy eater is to be a happy person, both inside and out. In order to love what you eat, you have to love who you are!
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