What does it mean to have a positive relationship with food?

You may be caught in a cycle of binge eating, undereating, and body negativity. You may be stuck in a loop of unsuccessful dieting. Before you can make any progress toward your positive body goals, you must change the thoughts and emotions you experience about food and your appearance.

A positive relationship with food involves being flexible and confident around food. It indicates that you don't adhere to any "food rules" and firmly believe that all foods may be incorporated into a balanced diet. When you have a positive relationship with food, you understand that it is simply food and that it cannot and should not be classified as either good or bad. Your body's signals of hunger and fullness can be trusted. There is no shame or guilt associated with consuming particular meals.

When you have a positive relationship with food, enjoying a bar of chocolate won't make you feel bad about yourself or force you to consume the entire slab. You must first recognize the signs of an unhealthy relationship with food before you can take steps to change it. If you've ever struggled with dieting or have a pattern of binging, restricting, and sneaking food, or if you experience a great deal of guilt and shame when you do, it's likely that you have an unhealthy relationship with food.

Here are some signs that you might have an unhealthy relationship with food:

• You alternate between limiting your food intake and overeating.
• You consume fast food or dessert in secret.
• You follow the newest fad diets.
• you constantly use diet apps and count calories to determine what you can eat and can't
• You don't pay attention to your body when it signals that you are hungryAdditionally, it's typical to have conflicting opinions about eating. 
• You could notice that on certain days you feel more guilty about eating than on other days.

So what can you do?

Having a healthy relationship with food has a lot to do with what you eat and why you eat it. The process of developing such a relationship takes time and patience. It is important to treat your body with kindness and to feel positive toward your diet as you progress. You shouldn't feel guilty if you want to eat different types of food for different reasons. People who have a healthy relationship with food understand this, and they don’t feel guilt or shame over what and how they eat. Getting healthier takes time. It's not realistic to expect to change your relationship with food overnight.

Throughout all of this, you should strive to be compassionate and understanding toward yourself.

Here are some strategies that can help you improve your relationship with food:

1. Don’t label food 

When you label food as "good" or "bad", you'll frequently then blame yourself for the label. So, when you consume "bad" food, you are bad. You are good if you consume "good" meals. This way of thinking is risky and can cause a lot of bad spirals.

Consider the food you might label in this manner. What if you simply treat food like food?

2. Be Mindful When Eating

Make an effort to consume foods you like. When you can, savor your food and take your time eating it. We frequently watch television or use our phones while eating. Try to avoid this distraction as much as you can because it can cause us to ignore our bodies' natural cues.

3. There is no such thing as a forbidden food (Unless you have allergies or medical conditions)

Making some foods off-limits frequently leads to overeating or binge eating that food later. Also, restricting oneself to a certain dietary group can frequently result in deficiencies and nutritional imbalances. But more than this, restricting your food intake is not a healthy habit. People having a healthy connection with food are aware that food isn't intrinsically good or harmful.

4. Let yourself enjoy eating

Letting yourself enjoy the food you eat is an excellent way to build a healthier and positive relationship with food. Engage your senses. Put a little effort into how your food looks and make it look as good as possible.

5. Don’t restrict food

Restriction of food causes deprivation, which leads to binge eating and overeating, which leads to guilt, and the cycle continues. Recognize that consuming a variety of foods will help you maintain a healthy relationship with food. Consume what you actually want to, but in moderation.

Although the majority of us have complex relationships with food, this does not mean that we necessarily should. In reality, we should view food as something great that sustains our physical and mental health and nourishes us.

Therefore, if you struggle with an unhealthy relationship with food, now is the time to start healing it. It's essential to start making efforts to mend that unhealthy relationship with food.