Everyone wants to tool around in their best body—clothes float with a sassy swagger when we walk down the street. Then Venus goes into retrograde. We all have a red light zone. Mine is the freezer case in the market, where Häggen Dazs and Dove Bars wink at me from behind fogged glass. You may have a similar red light zone, or perhaps it’s the bakery, pizza parlor, or candy store, and you succumb to that little voice, “Go on, treat yourself. You deserve it!” You’re right, you deserve to treat yourself to a rockin’, healthy body. The good news is, you don’t have to deny yourself. Be adventurous and creative with food. Introduce your palate to herbs and spice blends, and you might discover that eating healthy doesn’t mean boring.
Comfort food
The psychology of food is a complex interplay of thoughts, emotions, body image, social influences, and other external factors that affect our relationship with food and impact our food choices. The term “comfort food” means different things to different people depending on culture and generational factors. My grandmother’s generation lived through the depression and World War II, when food was scarce and meat was rationed. A well-stocked pantry and a freezer full of meat gave her comfort. As a result, my mother’s generation belonged to the “clean plate club.” My generation was weaned on packaged, processed foods, frozen TV dinners, and convenient fast-food chains. But regardless of when you were born or where you were raised, our association with comfort food is shaped in childhood, so, too, are cognitive biases toward certain foods, like vegetables, especially the green ones. While biases and perceptions may change as we get older, we often hold onto unhealthy patterns. Habits, good or bad, over time, become ingrained.
Breaking old patterns/habits is daunting. I’m reminded of a quote by Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.” There isn’t a hard-set timeframe, but research suggests, on average, it takes 66 days to break old, unhealthy habits and establish newer, healthier ones. Here’s an example of replacing unhealthy food/ snacks with healthier choices: rather than reaching for a Dove Bar, I stock my freezer with smoothie pops. They’re a delicious, satisfying, healthy alternative to their counterpart at a fraction of the fat and calories. A guilty indulgence, I no longer guilt myself about.
Since everyone is different, certain key factors may influence the timeframe for breaking old patterns:
- Complexity of the habit: More complex or ingrained habits take longer to break, so set realistic goals rather than aiming for an overnight solution.
- Underlying reasons: Identifying the triggers that prompted the old habit to understand why and when it developed can significantly impact the process.
- Mindfulness: Be mindful of where you’re eating and why you’re eating. If it’s while watching TV, eat at the table. If you’re mindlessly eating out of boredom, instead, take a walk or go to the gym. Exercise helps manage urges and refocuses our attention. Afterward, engage in self-care: indulge in a bubble bath and give yourself a facial. Improving the perception of our body image imparts positive affirmation as to why we’re changing the habit: Self-worth.
I used to obsess over calories. Now, I obsess over nutrients! I evaluate their potential return as dividends in a food portfolio, and ask: How much will this investment yield? Take lettuce, for example. What’s it worth in nutrients? Is it iceberg lettuce or spinach? Calorically, both are equal. But iceberg has the nutrient value of air, while spinach has the nutrient equivalent of gold. And if spinach is gold, kale is platinum. Every meal is a choice, an opportunity to increase our nutrient bottom line.
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