Re-Thinking Food
Posted on: September 17th, 2013
The pressure to eat “right” is all around us. Grocery stores advertise products that are healthy, guilt-free, low in calories, or organic. In June of this year, Starbucks started posting calorie counts on its menus nationwide, and more restaurants are expected to follow suit. Media ads focus on making healthy choices when we eat, so surely all of this additional information is good for the consumer. Or is it?
In fact, researchers are beginning to find that what we think about food is just as important as what we actually eat. In a recent blog by Leigh Halterman, RD, entitled “Good” Foods, “Bad” Foods: How Our Beliefs About the Foods We Eat Affect Our Health, she notes that many of her clients feel guilty and ashamed when eating certain foods. The mental anxiety associated with these foods distorts their relationship with food, and it can even affect how the body digests the nutrients in the food itself.
If one chooses to indulge in a treat or have the high calorie coffee drink, it is important to do so without guilt. Managing our emotions about food is just one facet of being healthy. Eat in an environment that will permit you to enjoy the experience. Doing so is good for both your physical and mental well-being.
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