Nothing Tastes Good with Shame or Guilt
Nothing tastes good with shame or guilt.
Ever.
And being stressed while you’re eating makes the eating experience less pleasant, but more than that, leads to body disconnection in the middle of a process that is ideally connecting.
How many times have you sat down to eat and are left with a pit in your stomach? Nerves that just won’t leave you be? Stress about how a food will make you feel or what it will do to your body? Whether a food choice will improve or detract from health?
I feel you. (There was that time that I tried to heal my MS with food. I’ve since learned better) And when food is challenging, be it by virtue of diet culture, an eating disorder, a desire to heal yourself, prevent infection, or something else, it makes what should be a pleasant or neutral experience stressful as can be.
... I shouldn’t eat this…
... this will keep me healthy...
... this is going to harm my body…
... i’m thinking about this food all day...
... if I eat in this way, I won’t be judged...
… If I in this way, I will be judged…
These thoughts and so many others make the act of eating STRESSFUL. And when your body is stressed, the last thing it wants to do is comfortably digest.
This is what leads to an unsettled belly/body if you’re eating an energized food, a ‘cheat food,’ a challenge food. This is what provides the false sense of security when you choose a safe food. This is your sympathetic nervous system doing its job.
And, eating food is not something that should elicit a fight, flight, or freeze response.
So the next time you’re feeling stressed about food, take a few deep breaths into your belly. Remind yourself that you are safe. That you are okay. And that the food you’re eating is about you taking care of yourself. Create a happy eating mantra.
Stressing about food is bad for your health. Eating and enjoying, WHATEVER it is, is good for you.
Happy weekend, lovelies.
#intuitiveeating #eatingdisorderrecovery #dietculture #dietculturedropout #miraclefood #nofoodrules #foodrules #foodpsychology #bodytrust #nofoodstress
