Balanced eating can seem like such an abstract concept – what does balance really mean and what does it look like when it comes to food?
While balance looks different for each of us at every meal, there is one important aspect of understanding finding and maintaining balance, and that is what I am sharing in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV-x8bh-ajk [/ embed]
The range of eating habits
Imagine a spectrum.
At one end of the spectrum, we have the all-in mentality of rigid diets, plans, and eating rules that feel restrictive and require you to regulate yourself. This is the place to eat “super clean” and avoid all “bad” foods.
At the other end of the spectrum, your dietary needs are neglected.
Sometimes it looks like eating anything you want, whenever you want. This usually happens when someone believes that the best way to achieve balance is to never say no to foods that they previously labeled "taboo" or "bad".
Also, it may appear that you are not paying attention to nutritional balance, or feeling unsure of what your body needs for nutrition without following a specific diet regime.
If you just let go of the diets but don't learn to focus more supportively and sustainably on your nutritional needs, you may end up feeling unwell, further from your well-fed weight, or your physical health may suffer. And all of these things can make you feel withdrawn from wanting to diet, which puts you right back at the other end of the spectrum.
You need to nourish your body well so that you can just feel good and take care of your health and wellbeing too.
Remember that nutrition is the catalyst for all areas of our health and enables us to enjoy and experience life. You deserve to find a way to feed yourself that supports you without self-regulation or restriction.
What balanced food looks like
What we strive for is a happy medium – balance.
What some people think when hearing a happy medium is spending some time on one end of the spectrum and some time on the other end of the spectrum, swinging back and forth between the two.
An example of how this sounds like saying you've been "good" all week. Now you will be eating what you want all weekend long.
Or it could be the other way around when you say you've been so "bad" all week. So next week you have to catch up on what you ate and ate super clean.
But that's not really balanced. This is cycling between two extreme states.
Not only does this not support your well-being, it also does not give you a feeling of ease, peace and enjoyment with such important foods.
Instead of swinging from one end of the spectrum to the other, the balance really floats in the middle of the spectrum with a little give and take on a daily basis.
This is where you make very deliberate choices that will allow you to eat well without restricting or regulating yourself, and have the flexibility to enjoy foods you like without ignoring your nutritional needs.
Balance takes many forms and can look different for everyone, every day and at every meal!
This can look like enjoying a slice of pizza with a side salad.
It can seem like you're settling on a dessert one night because you really want it, have your favorite dessert on hand, and have given your body the nutrition it needs.
It can seem like you're opting for a more nutritious version of your favorite comfort food so you can sneak more whole foods into your day while making it a meal that is really fun at the same time.
The purpose of finding a balance with your eating habits is to raise awareness of what you want and need and make an intentional decision that will help you stay in the happy medium – no matter what it may be.
This balance allows you to have your wants and needs fulfilled, build confidence in your ability to make the best choice for yourself, and experience much more ease and calm in eating so that it is no longer a source of stress or anything that occupies your mental energy.
How to find and maintain balance
In order to find that balance and stay in this happy medium, instead of swinging from one end of the spectrum to the other, new, more supportive practices and mindsets must be developed that will allow you to float in this middle, balanced state for a long time. Term.
If you are curious what these practices are, sign up for our free workshop. In it, I share the three main pillars that I need to focus on in order to restore balance with the way you feed yourself. You will walk away knowing what these pillars are and why they are so important if you want to strike that balance with your eating habits that will give you the flexibility you need to feel at peace and ease with food for life.
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