What do your food choices say about you?
Have a think about the meals you make on a weekly basis?
Are they the same meals you would tell me, your nutritionist?
Whether I get told the whole truth or not, there are always signs and commonalities that I find in the food choices that people make, that tell me about who they are and why they eat the way they do.
There are a few reasons we choose the kind of foods we do:
Evolutionary – paleo, vegetarian, vegan, convenience
Social – gatherings, feasts, holidays
Family – Birthdays, get togethers, etc.
Food habits that stem from your childhood – Mums spaghetti, grans curried sausages, roast chicken and coleslaw as a quick dinner.
Cultural – Curries, Seafood, Stews, etc.
Economic status – What can you afford?
Psychological – Nostalgic eating, Anxious eating, Overeating, etc.
All of the above form some kind of pattern in our day to day lives when it comes to food, food choices and general health & lifestyle.
Sometimes it can be hard to break these patterns.
Just like water carving its way through a mountainside, creating a smoother and faster path all the time. Our habits do the same to our brain and in turn, our lifestyle. And as the river flows faster and for longer, it becomes more and more difficult for us to change our eating patterns and our relationship with food.
So we have these behavioural, social and cultural patterns that have a very deep relationship with how we interact with food on a daily basis, that most people either aren’t aware of, don’t understand or can justify in some way.
Then of course we need to add in our innate tendencies to crave carbohydrates and fats for survival.
Fats are our most dense source of energy.
Therefore when we consume them we activate a pathway in the brain that releases dopamine (the chemical that makes us feel a sense of achievement – It’s extremely addictive). So we tend to get addicted to them very easily.
And have you heard of the expression “Hangry”?
It’s not just a saying. When our blood sugars (carbs) are low we are more aggressive because this makes it easier for us to “find our next meal”. Therefore we crave carbohydrates.
Our relationship with food can define our behavioural choices when it comes to choosing our meal, therefore directly influencing our results in weight loss or muscle gain and general health and wellbeing.
No macronutrient (Carbs, Fats, Protein) is bad for us.
It’s the timing, quantity and type that needs to be monitored.
One of the final things we need to better understand is the feedback loop between the brain and the stomach.
There are two hormones mainly involved when it comes to understanding this feedback loop. They are, Ghrelin and Leptin.
Leptin notifies us that we’re full (satiated) and Ghrelin is the hormone that makes us feel hungry.
There is only a 20 minute window between the start of eating and feeling full based on these hormones, so you can either eat a lot in 20 minutes or eat mindfully for the 20 minutes and still feel full.
Appetite is a want for food.
Hunger is the need for food.
Now that you have a deeper understanding of what influences you and drives you towards the food you eat everyday (and why), you can start making better food choices for you and your family, which is great.
The challenge is that we all know how hard changing habits, especially deep seeded food habits are. So prepare yourself, because it’s never going to be an easy task.
To help you move forward, I have a couple of suggestions that may help you make better food choices:
Avoid the isles in supermarkets. The outside of the supermarket is all whole food, this is the only necessity that humans have when It comes to eating. If you do shop in the isles, take your time to look at labels. It’s always best to choose no numbers and 5 or less ingredients, in which sugar is not in the first 4 on the list.
Use mindfulness eating. Being in the present, the here and now, concentrating on every bite you are taking, feel it in your mouth, concentrate on the textures and flavours.
Eat slow. Take smaller bites. (This one task alone will make a huge difference to the health of your digestive system). Eating is not a race, take your time.
Eat intentionally. Your thoughts, beliefs and desire of a particular food or food group can really have a positive or negative affect on how, when and what you eat. So think about it and make sure you are making the best decisions for you, your health and your goals.
Now have a think again.
What do you eat every day? What do your meals look like? What part of you leads your food choices? And how is that affecting your everyday health and training performance?
These are all very important questions for anyone that wants to see some sort of change happen. In either your body composition, your energy levels, your stress levels, your mental health, your sport performance and everything in between.
The more aware you are of what drives your food choices, the better decisions you can make.
YOUR FIRST STEP
You need to determine your readiness for change.
Great news!
If you’re reading this blog, you are in the contemplation stage or have already entered the action phase of the trans theoretical model of change (that means you’re either ready now or almost ready).
You will need to begin to monitor your thoughts (intentions, actions, inhibitory control mechanisms) when it comes to food choices. One huge helpful tip is shopping when you’re full, we all know not to shop when you’re hungry, but studies show that the closer you shop to your last meal, directly influences the choice of foods you buy.
I hope that you have learnt something about your relationship with food and what positive changes you can make to become healthier, fitter, stronger and more energised every day.
Feel free to come ask questions about this blog if you see me around UFT!
Every month there will be a new blog, so stay tuned. Next, is Timing of Macros Around Training!
Leave a Reply