I was listening to a really good podcast
the other day about “normal eating” and it brought up some great points.
What is “normal eating” anyway? There are
some things that we, as a North American society would deem as completely “normal”.
(And we all know that North American society has a problem with obesity). Some
of these things aren’t necessarily a “problem” but they have the potential to
be problematic depending upon how often and to what extent we do them. (Although
none of these are actually taboo, and are quite “normal” behaviors):
·
Second helpings
·
Eating in front of the TV and
while scrolling on our phones
·
Eating past full
·
Eating as a form of
“entertainment”
·
Snacks between meals
·
Daily desserts after dinner
·
Ordering an appetizer, main
meal and dessert when eating out
·
Eating a lot of packaged foods
·
The amount of sugar we “drink”
in the form of juices, pops and other drinks
·
Feeding our kids sugary cereals
for breakfast
·
And just in general, the sheer amount
of sugar we eat!
The question becomes, what types of unhealthy behaviors have we as a society normalized??? And
also – what types of unhealthy behaviors have we normalized in our own homes?
It’s true that everyone eats differently.
Cultures eat differently, generations eat differently, and then we have
individual preferences. But I think that in many ways, some very negative
eating patterns have become commonplace because so many of us do it. But as
your parents likely said to you too: “if everyone jumped off a bridge would YOU”?
Maybe. Maybe there is a good reason they’re all jumping. And maybe there’s
really not!
I would encourage you all to
non-judgmentally examine some of the habits and behaviors that you currently do
and ask yourself if they are supportive of the healthy lifestyle you’re intent
on living. If not, it’s time to change them!
Need help changing some habits around eating that are no longer serving you? Reach out!
