In terms of maintaining our general health and for weight loss, is it really true that we need to cut foods from our diet or do we just need to learn how to enjoy them in moderation? This article will help you understand and adopt the skills and behaviors that will allow you the freedom to enjoy most foods in moderation.
Food is meant to nourish our bodies, and eating is meant to be enjoyable and shared with others. The concept of removing foods and sometimes even whole food groups from our diet in an effort to maintain good health or for weight loss, can actually impair our relationship with food. This can also impair our understanding of what satiety is and feels like and even play into our relationships with others. The problem with this notion is that when a food or food group is removed from the diet, the diet has to be adjusted with other foods to remain nutritionally sound and the diet, being some what specialized, limits where and what one can eat. Thus increasing the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies, insatiability and a decrease in social activities.
The key to staying healthy and maintaining a healthy weight without removing any foods or food groups is by a mindful practice of moderate eating. This approach is simple, effective and most importantly requires absolutely no restrictions. It does require intention, thought and a willingness to change your behaviors when it comes to eating. Portion size is what matters most. After portion size, a concrete knowledge of what your choosing to eat is most important. This means that first, you must understand what a portion size really is and that you must keep your portions small and singular, and second, you must understand the nutritional make-up of the foods you eat and their effect on your body. Here is an example: You have chosen to eat pizza. A portion is one piece. Not two, three or the whole pizza. The nutritional make-up includes carbohydrates (crust), fats (cheese), protein (meat) and other nutrients from sauce and vegetables. This tells you that you are ingesting a nutritionally complete balanced portion of nutrients, but, as we all know, pizza is not the healthiest food. This speaks to why you must adapt to a moderate portion size and serving and adopt a practice of knowing what you are eating and how it is nourishing you. This also speaks to eating what you love and staying healthy and at a happy weight without restrictions.
Globally, this practice of moderation is more common than any other diet or nutrition plan. Most countries other than the US have universal unspoken behaviors which center around food and that is to enjoy food but never to indulge or abuse it. If you begin today by eating moderate portions, spaced throughout your day and you do not use food for anything else but to nourish you, you will see results within days. When we properly nourish ourselves and pay close attention to what and why we eat, we naturally begin to feel better and to eat better. Our bodies are amazing and when we do our part, our body’s systems will do the rest. It is not only us who want to look and feel great and enjoy our food, it is also every cell in our body that wants the same. So stop restricting and start eating, in moderation!
