Do You Have a Healthy Relationship with Food?

The relationship between the brain and the body is pretty interesting, especially when it comes to food. Have you ever found yourself wanting to eat something unhealthy and doing everything within your power to overcome temptation? I can certainly relate. For some reason, I thought it was a good idea to make cinnamon rolls last week. (Editors note: I'm 40 weeks pregnant and therefore cannot be held responsible for my decision making). So I made them, ate one, gave half of them away to friends and put the rest in the freezer. Thus far, it has taken every last shred of self-control not to break into my stash. Sound familiar?

So what's your solution to temptation? Pantry purge? Get rid of all "unhealthy" foods in the house? Give in and eat what you want or have a small bite, then walk away? Your reaction not only reveals what you would do, but also how you relate to food, which is just as important as what we ultimately put into our mouths.

Working in nutrition, I've seen a lot of disordered eating. These are not just clients with anorexia or bulimia, but oftentimes people I meet day to day. Between the media, unhealthy body images, the latest diet trend, social pressures and more, it can be very difficult to maintain a healthy perspective on what we eat. From what I've observed and studied, I've come to believe it's not just about telling people what to eat, but helping them think about food in a new, healthy way. In order to change how you think, it's important to know the difference between healthy and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors when it comes to food. 

Here's the Tiffany the Dietitian version of some of the "signs" of a healthy vs. unhealthy relationship with food. Ask yourself which way you feel most of the time.

This list could go on. What are some healthy vs. unhealthy perspectives you've observed?