Eat healthy - or: How our attitudes determine our eating behavior

Maybe you're like me: you want to eat healthy to do something good for your body. To be and stay healthy. But how exactly do you do that? What should you focus on and what does healthy nutrition actually mean?

Since I have the feeling that many people ask themselves these questions, I would like to share my thoughts on the topic of healthy eating mindset with you and try to find answers to the questions. However, I would like to emphasize that this is all very subjective and only reflects my experiences. I am neither a nutritionist, nor a doctor, nor an expert in anything. But maybe this post will serve as a little inspiration for you or just to know that you are not alone.

What does healthy eating mean to us?

Healthy eating has now become more than just a trend. Many people feel a kind of compulsion to eat as healthily as possible. The positive intention to do something good for your body has now given rise to a delusion of not doing anything wrong if possible. Sugar? It's best to eliminate it from your diet entirely. But all the more protein and please only “low carb”.
Unfortunately, we are increasingly losing our true connection to our bodies. You have to remember what food actually is for us: Food provides our body with the energy it needs to be able to do what it does every day, every second. Our cells need certain substances in order to work properly. And we consume most of these substances through food.

So food is the fuel for our body. Actually everyone is aware of this. But in today's world, food seems to be much more than that - an escape from negative thoughts, for example, a leisure activity, an expression of social role or even part of our identity.

If we are aware that nutrition means nutrient intake, we quickly ask ourselves what is the best thing to eat. Which diet is healthy? Which foods harm our body?

Which food is 'healthy'?

Of course, we all know that vegetables are healthier than fast food. But what exactly we consume and when and in what quantities is very individual. Additionally, everyone defines healthy eating a little differently. For some people, a healthy diet means eating lots of greens, for others it means avoiding processed sugar if possible and for still others it means eating whatever you feel like. For me, for example, healthy eating not only means supplying my body with the nutrients it needs, but also doing something good for my soul. And that also includes building a healthy relationship with food.

The internet and social media in particular are a great opportunity to find out more about nutrition. But you often feel overwhelmed by all the posts and articles and you don't know who to believe. Some information contradicts itself - is coconut oil healthy or actually bad for us? Are superfoods real? super or just another attempt to take money out of our pockets?

However, this wealth of information about healthy eating habits often leads us to feel bad about what we eat or feel like we are not eating well enough. We start to worry about our eating habits and give this topic more space than is actually necessary. This “overthinking” is based on a good intention – namely doing good for the body – but it puts a strain on our relationship with food and makes life difficult for us. Before I go into how you can get out of it and how you can build a healthy “food mindset”, I would like to discuss why it can be difficult for you to eat healthily.

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Why is it difficult for us to eat healthily?

A well-known reason that makes it difficult for us to avoid high-calorie and sugary foods is that sugar acts like an addictive substance. The chemical processes in the brain activate our reward center, which triggers a feeling of well-being in us.

However, I would like to focus on another aspect here: When we just want to eat healthy or are on a diet, we often forbid ourselves from eating certain foods. This contradicts our natural “drive” for freedom of choice. In addition, bans often lead to the very foods we want to avoid becoming more attractive to us. The problem is that we feel like we don't have the freedom to decide what we can eat.

What is the solution to this problem? We need to understand and give ourselves permission that we CAN eat anything, but not immediately put it into action. Then we don't think from a perspective of prohibitions, but know that we make conscious decisions every time. We do not conform to certain rules that allow or prohibit us from doing something and against which we then “rebel” internally. We then understand that we can make different decisions that have different consequences.

Embrace your freedom of choice and understand that you can decide what you eat, how much you eat and what diet you follow. The more freedom you give to your diet, the more self-control you can develop. It will become increasingly easier for you to make healthy decisions – whatever “healthy” means to you personally.

How do I develop a healthy eating mindset?

We have just discovered that knowing your own freedom of choice is an important first step towards healthy eating.

Additionally, I think it's important not to be too hard on yourself. As already said, health doesn't just mean consuming important nutrients, but also doing something good for the soul. This includes treating yourself to sweets when you really feel like it or not getting down on yourself when you go out for pizza with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Enjoy these things because they nourish your soul and therefore your well-being. How many say balance is key.

Be informed, but don't drive yourself crazy. Try it out and find out what healthy eating is forI means. Feel free to be inspired by other “healthy” people and their diets, but don’t compare yourself too much to them. Because every body is different, and different life situations require different diets.

And know that you can decide what you eat and how you want to feel after eating.

After all, food should be fun and enrich our lives instead of being a burden, right?

If you want to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here .

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