For the Love of Food: a healthy relationship with food

How do you know whether you have a healthy relationship with food or not? Many people do not realize it and think that they do have a great relationship with food and the reality is- they do not.

So if you have a good, healthy relationship with food here are some things that you do: Eat Mindfully, Eat in Moderation, Look at food as empowering and energizing, Not worried about the scale, Do not skip meals & Stop eating when full.

Do you do this? Or... do you do more of these things?: Binge Eat, Fad Diet, feel Guilty after eating, feel Ashamed of eating & Find food exhausting and dysfunctional.
Whether you have a great relationship with food or not, we all have our days. Here are a few things to think about and how to rebuild your relationship with food!

1. Do NOT punish yourself for something you have eaten- You're aloud to live a little. One snack or one meal is not going to hurt you or your progress. Now- if you are constantly eating things that are higher in fat or more processed, stop and think about it- slow down. Go enjoy that vacation, that date night or cheat meal- do not regret it or make yourself feel terrible. You're human and believe it or not, it can rev up your metabolism.
2. Cook at home- I love cooking at home and I have changed my relationship with food tremendously by cooking. When you cook at home, you know what you are eating and where your food comes from. When you go out to dinner- you have no idea what is in your food (think of all the sodium) or where it comes from. I love to cook! Pinterest is wonderful for great recipes to try. (It's also cheaper!)
3. Realize which foods trigger your guilt- Think about it, everyone has a food that they can eat a whole bunch of and then feels terrible after they have eaten it. My trigger would be pizza, so when I have pizza I let myself have two slices and that is enough.
4. Look at your portions- You should not grab a bag of chips and go sit on the couch... Ever! A handful or a small bowl (and I mean small) is plenty. Nuts should be a small size, fitting in the palm of your hand along with only 2-3 slices of avocado at a time. Avocado is the biggest misinterpretation because it's a "healthy fat", does not mean you can eat all of it that you want.
5. Speak positive about food- Food is how you are alive right now. Food gives energy, makes us look good and feel good when we eat the right foods and gives us so much power. Food is your friend, and so is your body! Treat them both with respect!
6. Do not compare yourself to others- What I eat, is much different than someone who is 100 pounds and 5 foot nothing. Our bodies are all different, not one of us is the same.  If someone wants to eat, let them eat. I eat every 2 hours and I love it! Metabolism plays a big role as well!
7. Enjoy your food- Food is delicious and you can make it taste even better with recipes and spices, so many things you can do now days with food. Enjoy a treat once in awhile and enjoy the healthy foods you eat, remember that they give you power! :)

Please love your body and be blessed that you have foods to eat and you're able to make choices on being healthy and having a great relationship with food.