Does guilt eat you up whenever you eat certain foods? Does it feel like the end of the world to you if you eat french fries, ice cream or some pasta? Do you feel angry with yourself and blame yourself for not having been able to refrain from eating?
Well, you are not alone. This feeling of guilt has been shaped by society and the general diet plans and food cultures in Dubai and around the world, which forces everyone to be so attached to strict - sometimes unreasonable - diet rules. However, it’s important to remember that we are human at the end of the day, and we must learn to reduce this guilt. As your trusted dietitian and hypnotherapist specialized in emotional eating and in how to eat mindfully, let me give you some 5 tips to follow to reduce your guilt around food:
01/ Eat what you are craving fort.
Don’t listen to those nutrition education programs for some time. Eating foods that make you feel guilty, over time, can reduce your guilt. Your brain will eventually get bored and you won’t continue to feel guilty when you eat that food. So bake yourself some cookies and eat them with a cup of milk, enjoy those french fries when you go out to your favorite restaurant, savor your favorite chocolate ice cream every now and then
02/ Have a list of mantras ready.
It’s important to be able to repeat positive affirmations whenever guilt strikes, so having a list ready would be helpful. Say to yourself: “I am in charge, not the fear or anxiety.” “Food is fuel, it’s not a moral issue”, “Food is meant to be pleasurable”, “I can trust my body to tell me when it’s had enough.”
03/ Redefine healthy eating.
Healthy eating has been tarnished by the diet culture to mean extremism, elimination, strict rules, and restrictions. But that’s not what it is. A healthy diet means nourishment, flexibility, and satisfaction.
04/ Unlearn negative beliefs.
Another reason why you might be feeling so guilty about certain foods is the negative beliefs you have about them, so it’s important to put those beliefs aside. A cookie is not an addictive substance that will cause you weight gain and diabetes; a cookie is just a cookie when eaten in moderation. Try writing these negative beliefs down and associating them with the reason you think they are true. It might help you unlearn them faster.
