8 Important Signs of a Healthy Relationship With Food
With all the nutrition information and diet advice on the internet nowadays, it’s not uncommon or unreasonable to feel completely confused or overwhelmed when trying to evaluate whether or not our relationship with food is healthy, rocky, or completely in the red zone. It is a topic that I, as a Registered Dietitian, am pretty well-versed in (if I do say so myself). There are many possible red flags, but let’s talk about some elements I consider green flags when evaluating someone’s relationship with food.
Here are some signs that you likely have a healthy relationship with food:
Not feeling guilt or shame associate to eating any food items or food groups
Nope, none at all! Food guilt isn’t an ingredient. Though guilt and shame can have varying levels of intensity, it can completely take away from the experience of enjoying the food you’re having. Not to mention, food guilt/shame can be a trigger to, or exacerbate a current binge eating episode.
You understand that you are not more or less valuable or worthy because of what you choose to eat
You are not more valuable because you eat organic (which in itself is mostly a marketing term, but that’s a blog post for another day), and you are not less valuable because you eat conventional produce. You are not cooler for eating gluten free when you don’t have Coeliac’s disease. You are not “asking for illness” if you enjoy pizza or takeout. People do it because it might make them feel better about themselves, but in the game of comparison, there is just no winning (even if you seem to be the immediate “winner” in a given situation). Comparison is the thief of joy, and doing this can further stop us from creating valuable human connection with others.
Eating is a fundamental human need, and necessary for survival. We should not be associating moralizing language or a moral hierarchy because of it. End of story.
You have strong core values, and unsolicited/non-constructive comments don’t affect your choices
When you get to know your body, how it feels and how it responds to different stimuli, it’s a lot easier to not fall for diet fads. Identifying what’s important to you will steer you in the direction of a life that’s fulfilling, and that feels worth living (for you).
You don’t choose food based only on the calories they contain
Food is more than just the sum of all its nutrients. Food provides us with so much more than just calories, protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc.
Nutrition is physical, sure, but it is also emotional, social, psychological, cultural, spiritual, religious, etc. The physical aspect, plus your values, plus your current circumstances can help steer you in the direction of a food choice that’s best for you at that point in time. The lowest calorie option isn’t always the healthiest option for you, either!
You’re not constantly thinking about food
Constantly thinking about food is usually a side effect of restriction (physical, mental or emotional). The more we restrict, the more we tend to overdo it when we do finally allow ourselves to have that specific food, and the more real estate thoughts about food occupies.
You’re able to feel hunger and honour it when it is moderate a lot of the time
You’re able to honour your fullness a lot of the time. This means stopping when you’re full and satisfied.
You actually enjoy eating, and don’t fear having to eat.
Enjoying eating is the end goal, not the problem.
Final words
Whether you identify yourself with all, some, or none of these signs, the encouraging part is that everyone can learn how to have a healthy relationship with food. Even you! It is a process that can take more time for some, but it is always worth it.
If you’re interested in healing your relationship with food, consult a Registered Dietitian who’s values align with yours.
Hope this helped!
Maria Tanielian
Registered Dietitian/Nutritionniste
ODNQ # 7223, CDBC # 2815, SDA # 949
