Seeing the bigger picture

Comment: Seeing the bigger picture

We all need to feed ourselves. That’s a given. Yet, our relationship with food can be complex.

What are the key themes and challenges around nutrition and health?

When we think and talk about nutrition, we look at what the experts say and follow healthy eating guidelines. But we need to remember that we are all individuals and we all think differently about food. Feelings and emotions come into play at the dinner table. We gorge on diet books and nutrition articles but the downside is that we suffer from information overload.

What our body needs is time to digest the food and to observe which foods agree with us and which don’t. The food industry wants us to make snap decisions on which foods to buy but for long-term health the key decisions are about which foods give us energy, make us feel full and healthy.

Creating a sense of calm when eating is also necessary for good digestion – being stressed and anxious may hinder the absorption of nutrients. Being calm helps you digest the food and not feel hungry after eating a meal. Most importantly, reducing stress can be a key factor in weight loss as stress hormones make us hold on to body fat.

A positive body image is also the key to long term health: even with the most punitive fitness and diet regimes, if your internal feelings about how you see yourself are negative, you will likely feel miserable instead of healthy and energised.

Talking to a professional can help address your feelings and empower you to have a better relationship with yourself and others.

See original article: http://psychologyofeating.com/big-picture-nutrition/