Positive relationship with food

You probably have realised by now that what you eat has the power to change how you look and feel. If you have been following any restrictive diet (i.e. weight loss diet) you may start looking great, but it has been shown that these diets are unsustainable and you are likely to regain the weight and resume old eating habits.

Unfortunately, this dieting behaviour does not support a positive relationship with food. Food should not be seen as punishment or sacrifice. Instead, as Darya Pino Rose in her latest book "Foodist" describes : ' It should enrich your life by satisfying your palate, making you fit and healthy, and bringing you closer to your family, friends and community.'

Therefore the first step to forming a positive relationship with food is to shift our attention back to real food as something essential for our long term happiness and joy. If eating healthy becomes a joy in ones life, then weight loss would come more naturally...

As Michael Pollan presents in his book "In Defense of Food", 'the most consistent predictor of weight gain and poor health is how much processed food people eat.'

From this perspective, food choices should become more as a question of value, where quality always stands before quantity. The main focus should be on forming habits that support healthy eating practises, rather than on counting calories and cutting out major food groups from your diet.

Lastly, it is also helpful to remember that being healthy is not a destination; it's a journey! Your overall wellness, weight and fitness level are a reflection of all the things you have done or you haven't done throughout your life. And most importantly, it's up to you, how healthy you choose to become.