March Week 4: Increased Understanding
One of the best things we can do when researching food is to explore various eating styles. There are eating trends that pop up frequently these days…they are marketed to the masses through books, podcasts, articles, social media, etc. which makes them accessible and easy to understand. We can use this to our advantage for two reasons:
1. To Create a Personalized Eating Plan. We can look at an eating style, dive deep & learn why people choose it, and then come to understand how it benefits the body. We can then use that information for ourselves by trying out different styles and seeing how our body responds. Pulling from these plans can really serve us. Being open to new possibilities and styles can give us the information we need to make positive changes. Because let’s be honest, the whole reason we are doing this month’s Food journal is because what we’ve done in the past wasn’t serving us.
2. The Freedom to Live Our Beliefs. We can use our new understanding of different eating styles to let go of judgment and accept that others choose what is best for them…and we choose what is best for us. There is a lot of shaming that happens around food—it’s become socially acceptable to give someone a hard time, make fun of them, or judge them for choosing what works for their body. It’s ridiculous and time that it stops. By understanding the benefits and methods of eating styles that are different than our own, we put our beliefs into action: we understand that everyone’s body is unique and that they need to choose what is best for them. We understand that we are different and need to choose what is best for us. And so we act and think from that belief. It’s a way to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Understanding the “why” behind other people’s food choices can really bring a lot of clarity (in every area of life, not just food). Maintaining this attitude around food choices is very freeing—it clears up mental and emotional space for us to simply live our life and make choices that serve us without drama.
So with that mindset (and a deep breath), let’s dive into our research week where we will explore various eating styles and terms that could potentially apply to us on our individual eating journeys.