Food is one of these things in life with which everybody has a love-hate relationship. Despite knowing how indispensable it is to the human existence, it doesn’t stop people from not establishing a trust relationship with it. As a result, food is linked to mental disorders, obesity, heart diseases, addictive behavior, and the image of an old-fashion social order in which women spend their time in the kitchen. In truth, food is what you make of it. It doesn’t have to be your arch enemy. It could be a friend and a health catalyst if you wanted to change your relationship with it. Whether you are the potato couch who doesn’t believe in healthy food and thinks that only rabbits can eat salads, or you are the fat-phobic who can’t imagine consuming anything else than an apple and kale juice a day, there is a lot to gain in understanding food and developing new eating habits.
#1. No More Food Fear
Food fear is a lot more common than you might think. While most people have heard about the fear of food poisoning, which is also referred to as paranoia, and the fear of food-related chemicals, there is a panoply of deep phobias that touch and transform your relationship with food. Cibophobia – or sitophobia – is the fear of eating food. Far from being a death sentence, it is focused on the fear of contamination from perishable products. Individuals suffering from cibophobia are also hugely concerned about the cooking process of their food, ensuring that it is never pink or raw. Some individuals suffer from a form of social phobia that affects their public life, such as the fear of eating in public, which is linked to the social response they receive. This can even evolve into a fear of dining with others, where one individual is afraid of being judged by friends and relatives. If you find yourself suffering from a handicapping and abnormal food-related panic, it is important to understand that therapy can help you to understand and manage your fear.
#2. You Need Real Food
Did you know that in average 60% of your daily calories come from processed foods such as snacks, soda, and sweets? As food can be divided into four main categories, ranking from unprocessed to highly processed – where multiple ingredients can’t be recognized as coming from either an animal or a vegetal source – it is interesting to note that less than half of what you eat is unprocessed to minimally processed – such as salted nuts for example, which is prepared for with no unrecognizable ingredients. Highly processed food is highly in sugar and sodium than other foods, consequently leading to unnatural weight gain. Additionally, highly processed food doesn’t provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs. In other words, you might spend 60% of your time eating food that doesn’t give your body the energy it needs to manage its natural functions.
#3. What Food Does Your Body Need?
The research about highly processed food consumption naturally leads to a further question, which is: What kind of food does your body need. Your body needs vitamins and minerals to maintain biological functions. Calcium, which is contained in dairy products and algae, is necessary for the health of your bones and teeth. Similarly, vitamin D, which you can find in egg yolks, oily fish, and red meat is essential to help your body regulate its calcium intake. Without vitamin D, your body can’t absorb calcium. Vitamin E helps your immune system fight illnesses and infections. It can be found in plant oils – such as olive oil – and nuts. Vitamin C, the most famous of all vitamins, is necessary for healing processes and maintaining the health of cells anywhere in the body. You find it in oranges, but also broccoli, potatoes, sprouts, bell peppers, and strawberries. Iron, often linked to a common deficiency called anemia, is responsible for managing your red blood cell levels, You can find it in dried fruits, liver, beans and whole grains.
#4. Food Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive
There is a misconception that healthy food has to be expensive. In truth, eating healthy meals doesn’t have to break the bank. For a start, buying seasonal food means that you can buy local products – that are cheaper than imported foods. Additionally, it is important to understand how to make the most of the food you buy. With the increase waste habit of most households, it is easy to see how grocery shopping can be an expensive habit if you always throw half of your basket in the bin. However managing the quantity you buy can make a big difference in how much your shopping will cost. Finally, you can find a lot of options to buy more for less, such as using grocery coupons from Coupon Sherpa or buying products on offer and freezing them after preparation. In other words, food isn’t expensive. But the household grocery habits can be extremely costly.
#5. Healthy Food Can Be A Family Hobby
Have you ever considered the idea that healthy and affordable food can become a family passion? For instance, the ability to grow your own vegetables and fruits is the guarantee that you have access to quality products that don’t break the bank. There is an educational process that starts with young children. Letting them help to plant and nurture the vegetables and fruits in the garden gives them from a very young age the respect of good food. It also teaches them to appreciate the ingredient and to avoid wasting food.
#6. Cooking Is Not Difficult
Contrary to the common belief that cooking is an art that is only reserved for a few selected ones, cooking is an accessible skill that everybody can develop. In truth, you will find a lot of simple and quick recipes that don’t need longer to prepare than a pack of processed food. However, what makes cooking easy is the desire to eat good food. This will drive your efforts. While cooking is not difficult per-Se, it does require more preparation than simply opening a bag and placing a pierced dish into the microwave oven. As preparation often consists in washing and cutting your ingredients, it would be vain to assume that this is too difficult for a normal household to be able to do it.
#7. Cooking Is A Social Event
More often than not, cooking can become a social event. Inviting friends and relatives for a delicious dinner party is a simple enough, but it is always a great event. There is no denying it: The human being is a creature of taste. The best thing you can do for a successful party is to present a home-cooked dinner to your guests. This naturally creates a homely and friendly atmosphere that brings everyone back to their childhood memories of family meals. Believe it or not, but a party dinner doesn’t need to be complicated to be satisfying. A yummy BBQ party or a simple pick and mix salad can get every guest excited during the summer months.
#8. Food Doesn’t Make You Fat
It is time to address an important point about food. Food doesn’t make you fat if you are eating the right type of food. Indeed, people who are trying to lose weight embark on a fitness journey that consists of 80% nutrition and 20% exercises. In other words, a fit and healthy body rely on food more than sports. The reason for that is that your body needs food to function. Depriving your body of food in an attempt to lose weight slows down your metabolism and increases the fat storage in your body. Additionally, this also means that you need to understand what food is good for you so that you can focus your eating habits on it. It’s only the wrong kind of food that creates fat.
#9. Bad Food Is Like A Drug
You’ve probably figured it out already: Highly processed food makes you fat and unhealthy. What you may not have known is that processed food can also become a drug. Indeed, as it is naturally high in sugar, processed food gradually modifies the wiring of your brain. It creates a form of addictive behavior that is very similar to drug addiction. Consequently, the ability to consume more sugar becomes a priority that can take over your decision process.
#10 What Diet Is Right For You?
Last, but not least, you may be wondering what kind of diet is right for you. Making peace with food goes beyond conquering your food and understanding the art of cooking. It is also about understanding what diet your body and your mind need. For instance, it goes without saying that if you’ve embraced a vegetarian approach, you need to find food supplements to provide your body with the nutrients that others diets would find in meat and fish food. If you need a gluten-free diet – if your body can’t digest gluten properly – you will find specific foods that are designed with your issue in mind. In other words, there is a diet for every need. It’s up to you to discover yours.
Leave a Reply