Nutrition Is A Tricky World

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food” – Hippocrates had it all figured out, right? Simple as that…food equals medicine. In this day and age, it just doesn’t seem so simple. If nutrition was literally only about the macronutrients, micronutrients, calories, etc that we consumed – and how they were absorbed, digested and metabolised by the body – then I think we’d have it all figured out. In reality, it’s not so simple. Nutrition isn’t just about these things that occur on a physical plane. Nutrition is also about the mental and emotional. We aren’t machines. We don’t function separately from our thoughts and feelings. We are deeply complex beings, and our relationships with food are deeply complex too.

Let me ask you a couple of questions.
When was the last time you used a world like “bad” or “good” to describe food?
Do you fear / avoid any foods because you think they’re “bad” for you?
Do you get nervous about eating out or going to social events because you worry that there may not be any “healthy” options?
Do you find yourself envying what other people eat, because it’s what you really desire but deny yourself of because you’re trying to be “good” and stick to your diet?
Do you obsessively look at the calories content of food / track calories?
Do you restrict your eating during the day or at certain times, only to find yourself overeating at night or at some other time?
Do you have “cheat days” or “cheat meals”?
Do you regularly use food to de-stress / feel less lonely / avoid other emotions / etc?

If you answered yes to any of these, chances are you’d benefit from woking on your relationship with food. In fact, your relationship with food (and your relationships with yourself and your body) are just like other relationships. They require continual care and commitment, they need to always be worked on, and they aren’t always easy.

I know that many of you reading this will relate to at least a few of the things I’ve said here. And it’s no surprise given the world we live in – some influencer posting shots of their low carb / low fat / sugar free / gluten free / paleo / whatever it is breakfast, ‘fitness inspo’ on Instagram shouting at us about how to get the perfect booty, the health food aisle in the supermarket with bright labels touting phrases like “guilt free” and “low calorie”, Women’s Weekly magazines with celeb weight loss diets plastered on the cover, news stories stating that gluten / dairy / sugar / carbs / fats / etc are bad for us, bus ads with overly airbrushed models…the list goes on and on. It can be bloody tiring and overwhelming.

All of this is why I’m so passionate about helping others transform their relationships with food. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – food shouldn’t be about fear, anxiety, overwhelm or control. Food is beautiful and nourishing, it’s about love. It allows us to heal, it fuels us to be able to spend time with our loved ones, to laugh, to enjoy the sun on our face, to run around with our little ones, to travel, to pursue our dream career….to do whatever we desire! Please don’t allow fears or concerns about food control your life. Use this post as a sign to do something right this very moment to begin healing your relationship with food and with yourself. You are a divine human being and you are worthy. The Butterfly Foundation is a great place to start, and please email me if you’d like to chat more.

Remember, you are divine and you are worthy of living a happy life, and that includes having a happy relationship with yourself and with food.

Nina x