March Monthly Newsletter
Read about the third principle of Intuitive Eating and learn that all foods can fit into your eating plan
Morsel of the Month
Last month, we discussed the principle of Honor Your Hunger. That principle focused on our biological urges to eat. This month, we will explore our psychological responses to deprivation and how to break the cycle of restricting and overeating.
When people are deprived of things they want or need, it can heighten their desire for that thing. This can be true of attention, material needs, or food. It can happen when the deprivation is self-imposed as in dieting, when we set up rules for what foods are “allowed” and what foods are “forbidden.” Even the perception that food may be restricted in the future (such as when you plan to start that diet on Monday) can trigger a desire to overeat all of the foods that will be off-limits to you in the future. This Last Supper overeating episode can then become “proof” to yourself that you cannot be trusted around those particular “forbidden” foods.
There are other instances that may trigger our brains into overriding our satisfaction cues. For example, eating with other people may cause us to eat quickly or more than we need to feel comfortable. Other triggers may be being away from home (and away from familiar foods) for a period of time, having inconsistent access to food, and special occasions, such as vacation meals, among others.
When it comes to dieting, feelings of guilt are closely associated with restrained eating. When we start a diet and deprive ourselves of a forbidden food, we have low or no guilt, because we are following the “rules” we have set up for ourselves. As time goes on, the feelings of deprivation grow and eventually become unsustainable, causing us to break our rules and eat the forbidden food or foods. This causes our feelings of guilt to increase until eventually those feelings become unsustainable and we put ourselves back on a diet to manage them. The way to break this cycle is to give ourselves unconditional permission to eat what we want without punishment.
This can sound scary to people who worry that their eating may become out of control with no guardrails. Studies show that when we have consistent access to tempting foods, they actually become less desirable over time as we get used to them and the novelty wears off. This process does take a fair amount of trust in your body’s wisdom, as well as the ability to listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues as we discussed last month.
If you’re interested in learning how to make peace with food, our dietitians can help. Contact us to make an appointment.
Want to know more? Check out our free Intuitive Eating: Principle 3 tip sheet on our website.
Recipe Highlight
We love beans for all meals. They are easy, versatile and delicious, not to mention packed with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. When we are in a pinch, we often reach for drained and rinsed canned beans, but when we have the time, nothing beats cooking a pot of dried beans. Check out our fool-proof method for tasty beans from scratch.
Athens Announcements
Virtual Cooking Demonstrations with Athens Nutrition
Join Athens Nutrition for our new virtual cooking demonstrations. Learn new techniques from the comfort of your kitchen.
Join us for our upcoming events:
March 24 from 12 pm- 1pm: Cooking with Beans. Get easy tips on how to cook a delicious pot of creamy, brothy beans and how to use all types of beans in fast and delicious recipes. Instructor: Judy Matusky
Register for our virtual cooking demonstration: “Cooking with Beans”
April 21 from 12 pm-1 pm: Mediterranean Cooking for Heart Health. A Mediterranean diet is one of the best eating plans for a healthier heart. Cook up some fast and easy recipes the entire family will enjoy. Instructor: Taylor Dimmerling
Register for our virtual cooking demonstration “Mediterranean Cooking for Heart Health”
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