My Body

Making Peace with Food
 
By Ann Chapman MS, RD., Registered Dietitian at Watkins Memorial Health Center
 
Enjoying eating is a complicated process for many Americans and especially for American females. From a very young age, we are socialized to distrust our body’s signals. “It’s not time to eat yet.” “You’re not done eating until you finish everything on your plate.” “You can’t be full already!” And women are given very direct messages about their worth by the food selections they make. They are inundated with advertising that portrays beautiful, slim women as successful. No wonder many women define their worth through their eating behaviors!!! In my counseling, women who review their progress with me will often say, “This week I was so bad!”, or “I was really good all week!” which really means “I ate no sweets” or “I exercised every day” or “I ate no fat”. They feel good or bad about themselves based upon the food choices they have made. In other words, their self esteem is shaped by their eating each day. As a result, many women obsess about every bite of food they put into their mouths. No wonder women have lost the ability to savor food. They’ve lost the pleasure that should be associated with eating because they are so caught up in eating the right foods for the wrong reasons.
 
Relearning to get in touch with our bodies need for fuel does take time, but can be accomplished, and learning to give ourselves permission to eat all foods is worth the effort. An excellent book which helps with this process is written by Evelyn Tribole and is called Intuitive Eating: A Recovery Book for the Chronic Dieter: Rediscover the Pleasures of Eating and Rebuild Your Body Image. In her book, Tribole stresses that toddlers are intuitive eaters – free from societal messages about food and body image. If you let a toddler eat spontaneously he will eat what he needs when given access to food and stop eating when he is full. We all had that ability as toddlers, but have lost it with society’s message, hectic lifestyles and an overabundant food supply. So how do we get back in touch with that inner child of ours and truly find pleasure in eating? Here are a few suggestions you may find helpful:
 

1. Don’t skip meals and carry snacks so that you are able to eat something every 4 hours. Under eating leads to overeating and causes havoc with our blood sugar. We lose touch with hunger and fullness when we fast and/or feast.

2. Follow the Food Guide Pyramid (www.MyPyramid.gov). Emphasize fruits and vegetables, which provide disease fighting phytochemicals and help with weight management. Include small amounts of extras – high fat foods and desserts. All foods can fit into a healthy diet if eaten in moderation.

3. Keep healthy and appealing snacks at hand. Granola bars, string cheese, salsa and baked chips, instant oatmeal, raisins, peanut butter and crackers all provide nutritious, tasty snacks that satisfy without sabotaging your weight or health.

4. Slow Down! We are always in a hurry with our busy lives and our eating patterns reflect this. It takes 20 minutes before you begin to feel full once you begin eating. If you finish your entire meal in 10 minutes you’ll consume extra calories your body doesn’t need.

5. Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat. Put food in the proper perspective. We need food to fuel our bodies and provide energy for our brains. We shouldn’t use it to sooth our stress or depressed moods. Don’t eat because it’s time to eat, or because a friend has brought in pizza or because you’re bored. Eat when your body needs food, not when you want food for reasons that have nothing to do with hunger.

6. Be Active. Without regular aerobic activity (sustained for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week) most college students will gain weight. Walking the hills on campus may seem tough, but it isn’t enough activity to keep your body fit.

7. Work on Body Acceptance. Go to hawkhealth.ku.edu and click on My Body for help with body acceptance. You’re worth it!

 
Questions about fitness or nutrition? Contact Ann Chapman, MS, RD. at Watkins Memorial Health Center at 864-9575 or achap@ku.edu.