How to change your thinking about food?

Let’s be real, food is the fuel that keeps us going. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s a comfort, a joy and an experience to share with loved ones or even indulge in by ourselves. However, our relationship with food can easily become unhealthy if we’re not careful about what we consume and how we approach food as a whole.

If you’ve found yourself struggling with your eating habits or want some new ideas on how to change your thinking about food for the better, then look no further! This humorous guide will provide tips, tricks and insights into how to improve your relationship with all things tasty.

Understanding Your Relationship With Food

Before diving into any changes you may want to make regarding your diet let’s start by understanding some basics surrounding human biology and psychology when it comes to our consumption of calorie-rich substances.

Why We Crave What We Crave

Have you ever found yourself hankering for junk food during periods of stress or anxiety? Or maybe craving something sweet after finishing up a savory meal?

These cravings aren’t just coincidence; they are rooted in fundamental brain processes known as hedonic regulation-related mechanisms, which control reward-seeking behavior among other impulses humans exhibit. So essentially our brains have been wired over time through different environmental factors such as social events, childhood experiences, addiction behaviors etc., leading us towards particular foods.

On top of this complex system at play in our brains there’s also evolutionary pressures that favored calorie-rich diets since these proved beneficial for survival beyond basic sustenance needs. However, I’m getting ahead of myself here – back on track!

Stop Labeling Foods As “Good” And “Bad”

One major step towards changing the way you think about food is breaking away from harmful labeling systems where certain foods are labeled inherently “good” vs “bad” based solely on their nutritional content (or lack thereof).

These labels can easily lead to negative feelings associated with food consumption that could be detrimental to our mental health when really, humans are social creatures who should never feel ashamed of the simple pleasure of savoring a delicious meal.

So next time you’re tempted to associate foods with judgments which may cause more harm than good, let’s make an effort to break away from these quick and easy labels.

Making Mindful Eating A Priority

“Mindfulness” is a term thrown around pretty liberally these days but it does have genuine applicability in terms of developing healthy eating habits for oneself.

Some key ways we can practice mindful eating include…

• Taking proper bites (not too large or small)
• Appreciating flavors/textures
• Slowing down overall consumption
• Avoid multitasking in other areas while eating.

Example Dialogue box:

“But why ya gotta think so much about your meals? It’s just something you do twice, er three times if you’re lucky enough.”

Well anonymous reader first off – yeesh we’ve only just met! No need for such hostility towards my approach here hahah.

But seriously, part of establishing healthier attitudes toward what we consume requires some self-reflection regarding our current tendencies concerning food. Establishing where change needs to occur begins by evaluating each new dietary experience slowly and mindfully; this mentally puts us back in control over the process ensuring better choices will follow!

Small Changes For Big Impacts

Now that we’ve developed a fundamental understanding of our relationship with food as well as how mindfulness techniques play into healthy consumption practices, let’s look at some specific steps anyone can take today toward changing their thinking about the foods they eat regularly.

Swap Out Your Sweetener Of Choice

If sugar or any second-rate sweeteners such as corn syrup etc., pose particular cravings then try swapping it out for an all-natural sweetener, such as honey or stevia.

These swaps may lead to a richer and healthier tasting experience overall but with less chance of becoming lost in these negative indulgences with sugars that have been co-opted by our brains into over-thinking consumption habits.

Tweak One Meal You’re Already Converting

If you’re just starting down the path towards less harmful approaches regarding what we put into our bodies, too many changes too quickly is likely to be unsustainable an bring in little success.

That’s why I’d advise focusing on one meal per day – this can involve substituting 1-2 main ingredients in favor of more wholesome alternatives giving us time to get accustomed following through without making every meal so painful. So slow down cowboy/cowgirl while trying only a few things ya know!

Example table:

Traditional Plate	Updated Healthy Version
Pepperoni pizza	Whole Wheat pizza crust w/taco toppings (Load up those veggies!)
Mozzarella Sticks	Fried zucchini sticks (use those wheat crumbs)
Ramen	Soba Stick Soup (easy sub)!

Cut Out Liquid Calories

We’ve talked about sugar before but drinks are another sneaky way calories sneak into your diet without our awareness. Cutting sugary beverages outright isn’t always attainable nor advisable from a behavioral standpoint (#foreveraddicted)but smaller tweaks i.e., using lemon water instead of soda or fruit flavored juice vs getting just fruit juices would prove helpful certainly!

“When I stopped drinking my daily gallon of diet coke everything felt different man”

Tony Robbins

Bullet List: Additional ideas for cutting liquid calorific intake:

• Swap out instant coffee shots for good quality cold-brew coffees
• Switch carbonated drinks with unsweetened sparkling waters either plain or infused with flavors like lime, mint or basil
• Dilute fruit drinks/soda mixtures with water

Find Creative Substitutes

For example, if you already naturally crave fruits and vegetables over meats or processed snacks during mid-day cravings then that’s fantastic! But it’s entirely natural to grow tired of these same few options day after day.

Delving into online resources (if interested) can enlighten us on alternative flavor profiles healthier meals entail delivering the potential for more diverse eating possibilities.

One trustworthy site in particular could be…

Pinch of Yum

Another Example Table 🙂

Cheese in Recipes	Cheese-Free Substitute
Grilled cheese	Portobello Mushroom Cap Steaks
Mac & Cheese	Cashew Cream Sauce w/Pasta

Conclusion: Eating Healthy Doesn’t Have To Be Painful

Hopefully by now we’ve established some tips worth acting upon when evaluating our general conscious relationship with food as well as how changes no matter how small they may appear initially would make a big difference over rough patches making dietary aspirations trial an error learning process than being helpless thinking nothing works so why bother wasting efforts putting oneself through this difficult period.

When starting try focusing just one meal at a time and explore wholesome but tasty ingredients since what we eat eventually shapes who we are becoming decades later. So let’s nurture those bodily systems!