Food is Not the Problem
Food. It nourishes our body and gives us energy. It’s also yummy. And yet, we make it our enemy. We victimize ourselves and vilify food. This abusive relationship can lead to unhealthy behaviors, a path of self-hate and an endless cycle of dieting.
When I was under the thumb of bulimia and anorexia, I thought food was the issue. Mealtimes caused major anxiety and no matter how much I purged or starved, I was never content; never comfortable in my skin. I loathed my body and I despised food for it, agonizing every calorie I consumed. No matter how much weight I lost, it was never enough, and food was the problem.
Is that logical? Do donuts really want me to be miserable? No. They’re just donuts. They aren’t out to get anybody, they just are. They’re not good. They’re not bad. They’re donuts.
Fact: FOOD IS NOT THE PROBLEM. That’s the first truth that helped me recover from my eating disorder. When I let that truth sink in, it completely shifted my perspective and helped me understand why I was the way I was. I thought the issue was food. Or maybe if my mind wasn’t muddied by food, I could be convinced the issue was that I hated my body. But neither of those things was the issue.
The issue was much deeper. When addiction takes over, it’s a manifestation of something else that’s going on. And in my case, I didn’t even process that connection. Now it seems obvious, but at the time I was so consumed by food and being thin that I was completely blind to the clear connection my eating disorder had to the assault and rape I never recovered from years before.
There were a lot of factors that contributed to my healing process. Understanding the root cause of the issue was first. Next was realizing that I had choices. Embracing mindfulness as a lifestyle is my continual “treatment.”
Now that I know food is not a villain, it’s actually not challenging to maintain a balanced diet. And when I do eat a donut, I don’t let it ruin my day.
Here’s how that looks in action. Let’s say a co-worker brings donuts into the office (this happens to many of us often).
Scenario 1: You Think Food is the Issue
Why, why, why did he have to bring donuts? Ugh they look so good. Of course I want one. OK I’ll have one. I kind of have to now. I’m such a fatty. I hate myself. This is why I’m fat — I have no self-control. How can I when people are shoving donuts in my face?
Scenario 2: You Know Food is Food
Oh, he brought donuts! That was kind of him. They look really good, but I’ll pass today. I already had breakfast and I’m not really hungry. Plus, I’m going to the gym later and need something more substantial to fuel my workout.
or
Oh, he brought donuts! That was kind of him. They look really good. Yep, I definitely want the frosted one with sprinkles. YUM.
Clearly, scenario 2 is preferable to scenario 1. And less thought is put into it. In scenario 1, the donut causes stress and anxiety, before and after consumption. So much energy is wasted by thinking about the donuts, and the donuts spent ZERO time thinking about you.
Scenario 2 is much more straight-forward. Do you want a donut? Will it honor your body’s needs right now? If it will, eat it. If it won’t, don’t. Either way, we are empowered to make the right choice for ourselves. We have more power than donuts, or any food. We get to choose what, how and when we eat. And when we shift our perspective and see food as food, instead of the source of our problems, we can focus our energy on much more positive and more important things in our lives.
Food is not the issue. The moment you realize that is the moment you can begin to free yourself from food-related anxiety and start honoring yourself for who you are, not for what you eat or don’t eat.
About the author:
Cara McDonald is a yoga instructor who found herself after battling an eating disorder through yoga and mindfulness. She blogs about mindfulness, yoga, body image and more on her blog, balanceintheburbs.com. You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook, where she shares her journey and weekly mindfulness challenges.