Eating Bad Food Doesn’t Make You A Bad Person

The following is a response to the article Good Food, Bad Food, and Subversive Food Combining, a thought-provoking piece discussing the black-and-white thinking of “good” and “bad” foods and how this process negatively affects how we view ourselves and others.

This article does a fantastic job of shedding light on a very common problem we see on a daily basis: how the way we view and label food can subconsciously affect how we label ourselves. We label food as good, bad, healthy, junk, super, and so much more.  Therefore, when we eat those foods, that label corresponds with how we feel about ourselves (i.e. I ate “bad” food, therefore, I am bad). This is so wrong!

Food is here for our fuel and our enjoyment. At Revive, our team consistently encourages clients to feel the freedom to build treats into their diet, and we rarely encourage complete restriction of any one food. If we as humans cut ourselves off from a certain food, our craving for that food may grow to such a high intensity that when we do allow ourselves to enjoy it, we over-do it. Rather than practicing balance, we gravitate to this “all or nothing” approach.

That being said, not all foods are created equally–I agree with the author when she states that certain foods will physically make you feel better or worse. As for the idea of pairing together foods “good” and “bad” foods on the same plate, just make sure you are choosing balance. Vegetables, high quality carbohydrates, and protein will make you feel full. Chocolate cake will also make you feel full. But both choices will have very different results. Choose the foods that fuel your body and your mind first, and add in the foods that bring you pleasure on occasion. Ultimately, no food choice has the power to determine your self-worth or success in life.

 

By Raina Beugelink – Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian

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