Helping people develop a healthy relationship with food is my primary goal.

How to Eat Normally
Desire for Indulgences

By
Jennifer Pereira, RD, LD, CSCS

Bring to your mind the image of the most indulgent food you have ever experienced. What does it smell like, taste like, feel like? Imagine a life without this delightful food, as if it was illegal or off-limits. How much stronger does your desire for it become? Even items that were not high on the list of best-foods-ever will beckon to you when deliberately restricted. It's important to allow all foods into our eating circle. It's important for physical and psychological reasons.

The body, when deprived of certain nutrients, will react in mood and energy changes. The mind will obsess over anything it cannot have. And no food should be restricted—all foods offer some nourishment for either the body or the soul.

Choosing to eat what we want and when we want it, ultimately leads to lower intake overall. Many people will not indulge in their favorite treat, only to end up snacking on a variety of foods they deem more acceptable. Research has even shown that eating a meal that is truly enjoyed has a higher afterburn effect on metabolism than equivalent nutrient composition in a tasteless bar.

Many people will argue that allowing themselves to eat whatever, whenever leads them to overeating. This is a complex issue, but the distinction is all in the mind. People eat the food, even though they feel bad about it, and continue to feel bad about it the rest of the day. This can lead to overeating due to the feeling of having "blown it."

People who legalize all foods (think French women) think about how good the food will be, how good it is, and how good it was—they relish in the satisfaction of their desires fulfilled. So bring that indulgence back into your mind. Get a very clear picture of it. When was the last time you had it? From this point on, make this indulgence an accepted and required part of your life.

And when you partake…really experience it. Dispute any negative thoughts about it, because they are wrong. Food is one of the most pleasurable elements of life. It must be honored as such because there are times when, ultimately, it is of utmost importance to nourish your soul.

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Listen to your Body, it is Wiser than you Think.
Respect your own unique traits, and develope a healthy relationship with food.