What is food freedom?
What is food freedom?
Food freedom is eating half a banana, a whole banana, two banana’s or a banana with peanut butter. It’s eating banana bread, a banana smoothie, banana milkshake or banana muffins.
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WITHOUT STRESS, ANXIETY, RULES, GUILT OR SHAME.
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It’s having the freedom to make the choice that feels best for you at that time – not because it’s written down in a plan or because you feel it’s what you “should” be doing.
Writing this reminded me of the time I was travelling India. There was a distinct moment I remember sitting in a cab feeling SOOO hungry. All I had with me at the time was a banana I had taken from breakfast.
BUT I had a food rule stuck in my mind that I could only have half the banana because the whole one had “too many carbs” (it doesn’t, and I was really hungry).
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How ridiculous is this? That this food rule dictated how much I ate in this moment. A moment when I was extremely hungry. A moment where my hunger was affecting my mood, concentration and enjoying this moment in India.
This is an example of not only the inbuilt power food rules can have over your food decisions, but also how they can force you to IGNORE your own body screaming at you. Ignore your innate body signals.
Can you think of a time when a food rule has influenced your food choices? Maybe you've had a similar experience as the one I shared above? Maybe it's daily?
Take a minute and reflect on that moment..
And then compare it to a time that you needed to pee. Would you have ever had the thought “but I need to stop halfway through”
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I am going to take a guess that the answer is probably no.
So why is it different with food? Because diet culture has attached a moral value to food, that’s why.
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Food freedom is choosing to eat half a banana, a whole banana or two bananas. It’s having the freedom to make a food choice that is best for you at that time.
Without guilt. Without shame.
It’s feeling in control around your food, without food rules controlling you.
I hope you found this article helpful - You may also enjoy my blog about weight fluctuations, and this one about juice detoxes.
Is there a topic you'd like to see me write about? Let me know!
written for you by
Melissa Eaton
A university qualified Dietitian, Nutritionist (MNutDiet, BSc ANutr.), PhD student and former teacher from Sydney, Australia.
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