Healthy Eating Ideas - By: Theresa Wright
While everyone has their opinion about what and how we should be eating today, it is true that the standard American diet leaves a whole lot to be desired. We eat too much sugar, salt, fat, processed, man-made, and nutrient-free foods. But what is a body to eat?
And are you struggling with food, eating, and body weight? Does it feel like whatever diet you try, works for a bit and then fails you? And you try another diet, and another, and they all work for a time, but eventually, you make a mistake or “fall off” the diet, or find yourself in situations where you are not sure what to eat? This blog is for people who know they are physically sensitive to certain foods, have an eating disorder or a food addiction, and struggle with creating and maintaining their food plans and abstinence. I am so grateful to Molly for her presence in my life.
Here are two of my favorite definitions of abstinence:
“Abstinence is a state of mind characterized by freedom from the obsession with food.”
“Beginning today, I commit myself to learn how to live a joyful, useful life, without abusing my body, mind, or spirit with food or thoughts or other drugs.”
I have worked as a dietitian with food addicts for thirty-four years. I think your recovery food plan should have certain important characteristics.
First, it should fit you comfortably, like your favorite sweatshirt.
It should feel safe and never pinch or restrict your movement.
It should take out all the foods that you are sensitive to.
It should have enough food so that you are hungry for five or ten minutes before a meal and satisfied after the meal.
There should be a meal or snack at the toughest time of day for you.
It should meet your body’s nutrient needs and lead it to its normal weight.
And in general, it should provide foods you can enjoy.
If your food plan feels like a straitjacket, take it off and find out why! Then find a better plan!
But how do you get started? “It feels so scary to give up my regular plan!” Here are eight healthy eating guidelines for people working for freedom from food addiction and other eating-related problems.
But begin with small and simple steps. Do the easy ones first. If you make a mistake, take a deep breath, wash your hands, brush your teeth if needed, and start again.
1. The body needs fluids!
Dehydration is the only illness that can reliably kill us within three days. There are different recommendations about the amount of fluid we need to drink. One is eight – 8-ounce cups a day. A more accurate way is to take your body weight in pounds, divide it by two and drink that many fluid ounces each day. This works well even though it seems like a lot. Do not use coffee, diet soda, or other sweetened beverages for this fluid allowance, choose water, seltzer, herbal tea, hot or iced, instead.
2. The body needs to be fed every three to five hours while you are awake.
You may need to change your eating schedule to allow this, but it is so very important!! If you let yourself go longer than five hours without eating, you may find yourself ravenous at the next meal or snack, and eat much more than you intended.
3. Focus on meeting the body’s nutrient needs.
What are the body’s nutrient needs? Partly, they depend on your body height, weight and size, your activity level, and your nutrition status. Again, opinions vary, but here is a general list:
Fruits: 2 to 4 servings a day (a serving is a single piece of fruit, about six ounces)
Vegetables, raw, cooked or a mixture: 3 to 5 cups a day
Protein from meat, cheese, beans, fish, or other sources: 6 to 12 ounces a day
Fats, no trans-fat and using mostly unsaturated fats: 2 to 6 Tablespoons a day
Cereals, Starches, and Grains, whole grain, and flour and sugar-free: 3 to 12 servings a day, only the ones you can tolerate
Milk and Milk Products: 2 to 3 servings a day (or some other calcium source)
4. Take out your drug, binge, and trigger foods!
Let go of all the high calorie, nutrient-free foods that set off your food addiction, and cravings, or that trigger other addictions, such as:
Sugars, sugar analogs, sugar substitutes
white flour foods and all their varieties
fatty, salty snack foods, fried and fat-laden foods
refined and processed foods, man-made foods
diet foods, and highly processed foods
and anything else that sets you off.
5. Make sure to provide the calories at the time of day the body needs them.
Starving all day and then eating a lot before bedtime just gives the body more work and less time to rest. Eating all your calories at one time only prolongs the hunger and the body’s “I must save calories” response. Starving the body is like a diet and will lead you to a weight gain at the end of the starvation period. Your body has had enough of that.
6. Eat appropriate foods you enjoy.
You do not need to eat boring diet food all day. Find new foods you like; try new recipes and new spices and seasonings, and begin to enjoy your meals.
7. Listen to your body and treat the body with respect.
Take time to take care of the body so that it can take care of you. The body is given to the mind and spirit as a gift for learning and growth; let’s learn the lessons of the healthy body. Speak kindly to the body. Make meals respectful by sitting down to eat, tasting the food, paying attention to what you are eating, and feeling its power. Do not eat while driving or be distracted in other ways.
8. Talk with a trusted friend or professional about your food plan.
We all need help sometimes. Find people who you can trust, and who care about you. Let these trusted advisers help you.
Some Suggestions
But where do I start? If you have been struggling for a while with addictive or abusive eating, start slowly. If you pray, start by praying for help. If you are alone in this, commit to calling another person daily to talk about your progress.
Now take number 1 from my list; drinking more fluids. Start DOING that and find ways to get yourself to drink the right amounts of healthy beverages. When you can do that comfortably, move on to the next suggestion.
Choose the easiest suggestions first. This will give you confidence as you move through the process.
Expect a wide variety of feelings! You may feel lots more than you usually do! Anxiety, anger, irritability, mood swings, depression, tears, joy, laughter, and exuberance may come and go in the first weeks. Try not to hurt anyone or lose your job! Part of this is the withdrawal; the body’s reaction to the new way of eating. Part is the physical changes because of the new foods. Part is feelings you may have pushed down with food. This will all settle down in four to six weeks, and then you can really enjoy your abstinence, recovery, and new life!
I want to thank Molly for letting me bring all this information to you today. If you have questions or comments, you are welcome to call me at 610-275-3699 or email me at theresasez@comcast.net
Blessings to you,
Theresa