There are no Bad Foods

"I'm so bad, I ate a cinammon roll for breakfast and now I'm having this pizza!"

"Try this detox tea, it'll make you drop 10 pounds fast!"

"Cut carbs and lose two inches round the waist!"

" I cheated on my diet! Now I need to skip lunch and maybe dinner."

#fitspiration #fitspo #detox #thin #Adkins #nocarbmonday #selfcontrol

These lines are more of a recipe for a #hotmess or #illness. We are bombarded with these messages, all day, every day. I turn on the radio and listen to how I should change my profile picture because I'm too ugly; I need 'this product' to make myself look perfect. This message floats around billboards, TV, magazines, social media, radio. The message that my body isn't good enough, it's too fat, or fat in the wrong places, or too bony, not toned enough; that one's skin is too dark, too light, too patchy, too scarred. That message permeates social media-even #fitspo has a certain look.

I am enough, you are enough. To quote the movie Dumplin, "Every Body is a Swimsuit Body". People are beautiful the way they are, they don't need every ad, post, or exit sign saying anything differently. Life is not fair in many ways, we do not need to add pressure to be perfect, have this or that bone structure, buy xy or z product. It's best for one's mental well-being to ignore the negative messages. But, like I said, these messages are everywhere? So how can we strive for mental health and physical health?

Look for the positive. If it's nowhere to be found, if everyone including the voice inside your head is telling you your body is wrong and this fad diet is the cure, take a pause. Breathe deeply. Know that you are worthy of the best health you can attain, mentally, physically, and emotionally! Remember reading this article. Diet culture wants us all to stay in the deep dark hole of hating ourselves and our bodies, so we can keep buying their stuff and buy into their ideals. The truth is, diet culture LIES! It doesn't know what's best for you, or me, or anyone! Breaking free from these thought patterns, these lies, takes time and energy. It is not always pretty, but it is always worth it. Reader-you are always worth it. You and I may not feel like it at times, but we are incredible and the intricacies of each breath, each muscle movement is awe-inspiring (or a headache for A&P students). And this requires food, a variety of food to give us energy. If you are having difficulty grasping this concept, close your eyes and think of your favorite food, or dessert. Well, after reading this paragraph at least. Think about how that food feels on your tongue. Is it warm or chilly? Sweet, salty, or specked with umami? Grasp onto the feeling, the emotion you get when you eat that food. These memories and sustaining your body by building healthy habits will allow you to make more amazing memories. I give myself permission to enjoy food. I hope you do the same, and that it changes your life for the better.

Many fad diets products are laxatives in pretty packaging. They may make you feel thinner, after feeling sick and spending two days on the toilet. And as for a "cleanse" or "detox", unless you drank a poison, swallowed hazardous chemicals, or your carrots just happened to start cussing you out, you do NOT NEED a cleanse or detox diet. Your body is not full of evil that needs to be purged. Unless you genuinely have a need for an exorcist, which would definitely not be related to food.

Don't believe what diet culture says. Take carbohydrates, for example. They have been deemed the enemy for decades! The truth is, our body needs carbs, it needs the fuel! On average, about 45-55% of calories should be coming from carbohydrates. It's natural to crave sugar while on Adkins (or any time, really). This is a real need for our body, along with proteins and fats. Fat is not evil. Sugar is not evil. Chocolate is not out to get you. I promise. Unless you have a legitimate condition such as allergies or Celiac disease, no food is off limits!

We need to strive towards body and food positivity. For some, this may look like advancing from hatred to neutrally accepting the food as it is, something that is necessary to survive. Ideally, some foods may spark joy, bring happy memories. So eat the kale and the spinach, but never forget the joy of wedding cake or Blue Bell ice cream or a fresh baked apple pie. I have a sweet tooth, I'll admit.

As for body positivity, I'm mentioning this in an article about food because our bodies matter. They carry us through life. Food fuels the body. Our attitude towards our bodies is sometimes negatively interwoven with diet culture and foods. Working towards accepting my body as it is allows me to also accept food as it is without putting either in my mental dungeon. Everything in life is experienced through the body. So care for it, nurture thyself. On days when body acceptance is hard, strive for neutrality, for caring for oneself even through tough days when the "muffins are evil and so are my hips" thoughts start creeping in.

This brings me to the topic of intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is not just eating cake for the rest of one's life. It is listening to the body's cues, including hunger cues. When I feel thirsty, I know my body is asking for water. When I am hungry, I need to eat. Sometimes when I crave a certain food, I try to eat it along with other foods to have a more balanced nutrient intake. Sometimes I just eat that food. I challenge anyone who reads this to listen to your body, your hunger cues. Eat when you are hungry, drink when you are thirsty, nourish your body. Don't punish it. And food guilt is real; it can be combated by the mantra of "there are no bad foods." There really aren't, unless they're three months expired and growing a colony of bacteria for you.

Don't mistake me for saying that we all need to eat whatever we want all day, every day. Our bodies do not need energy consumption in excess of needs. And eating just carbs is...not evil. But it is not promoting a balanced diet and is probably setting the individual up for some significant nutrient deficiencies. Protein and fat and carbs are needed; vitamins and minerals are needed. These come from a variety of foods. Eating from a variety of food groups without having excess or deficiency can give one physical strength. Eating calcium rich foods strengthens muscle. Fats provide energy as well as the membrane of each cell in our body. Protein is essential for building muscle and making the body functional. Carbohydrates give us energy that is needed for life.

That does not mean eating a balanced diet is simple or easy; but many things in life that are worthwhile take time. Try an experiment. Humor me. Go to your grocery store, and look at the wide variety of colorful produce. Choose some items, then go aisle by aisle, gathering meats, fish, frozen foods, your favorite childhood snack. Then stock the pantry. Look around. You won't have the feeling of frustration or "what's to eat" or "I can't eat any of this". You can, and you should-because food is delicious and wonderful, or at the very least necessary for our existence on earth. I hope you find more joy going to your kitchen knowing that you have options, many options for quick or longer meals. People can never eat a variety of foods that are non-existent. The first step towards eating a more balanced diet is to introduce your kitchen to a variety of foods. This does not have to be arduous. If you know your spouse hates radishes, maybe pick a few peppers instead. If you cannot stand the sight of grapefruit, maybe opt for some oranges and apples. Eating well does not have to be torture.

And sometimes intuitive eating can be challenging; I have experienced this as a medical scribe who continuously switches from day to night shift. My sleep patterns are not what most people would consider normal. I do my best to sleep when I can, when I need. And this rotating schedule has affected more than my sleep; my hunger cues are very different from what they used to be, when I was younger and ate on a more regular schedule. I pack snacks, and leave snacks out in the kitchen. Apples, bananas, chips, celery, guac, and literally anything can be a great snack. I remind myself when I am feeling fatigued, or a bit irritable, that it is actually my body telling me something is wrong. It may not be food, but often hunger comes across to me as fatigue. I hope y'all listen to your hunger cues, and realize that hunger is not always manifested by stomach rumblings. I've learned through this job that sometimes lunch needs to be at 2 am or 7 pm. And that the only food rules that are in place are ones that are put there by myself.

If you take one single thing away from this post, remember that there are no bad foods! Eat well.

Sources:

Intuitive eating for the whole family: Nature nate's: Real food facts. (2020, December 09). Retrieved from https://www.naturenates.com/intuitive-eating-for-the-whole-family/