Quit Labeling My Food 'Good' and 'Bad!'

There are multiple sides to every story.

Roses are beautiful! The thorns can also make them very bad. Water is good. Water, unfortunately, can also be bad and unsafe to drink. Coffee is good. However, if you’re a person with GERD, it can be bad for your acid reflux.

See what I am saying here? There is always a circumstance in which a good thing can become a bad one. The same goes for our foods. And labeling something as ONLY good or ONLY bad creates a harmful perspective on our health.

It is easy to write off a food as being bad and to convince yourself you should avoid it. However, everyone loves a good baguette with their spaghetti or chips & dip with their Mexican dinner.

Quit labeling your foods! I encourage you to take a more gray stance instead of the usual black and white. Eating shouldn’t be a battle between good and bad foods but instead should be a time for fun and celebration.

Here's a situation to help explain:

Let’s say you go to your favorite Mexican spot and you’re looking forward to the chips & queso. Then a light kicks on and you think -- ‘Ah, I should skip the appetizer and just get a low-cal/healthy dish instead.’ Then you eat the 2 veggie tacos with no cheese and leave. Will you be satisfied? Or will you then start snacking at home later because you aren’t emotionally full. (I mean come on - you were looking forward to that ahhmazing queso all day!)

It is so important to eat for our bodies and our minds! Make them both feel great, and you’ve won the battle!

All foods fit…..A ‘good’ food is just food and you should eat it! A food labeled ‘bad’ is also just a food and maybe you should eat that too!

Just follow my guidelines to healthy, happy eating:

Portion Control - EAT the foods you crave or you will never be satisfied. I tend to go with a ⅓ : ⅔ ratio. For me this ends up being 1 medium slice pizza + ½ plate of salad. Whatever it is, make it work!

Timing - Be aware of how frequently you are eating your favorite decadent, sugary, chocolate dipped foods. Space out these little moments of joy for long term success.

Listen to Your Body - If a food makes you have bathroom troubles, belly aches, acid reflux or otherwise… my goodness just listen to your body!! That food is not doing you any favors. Do your body a favor and perhaps remove that food from your diet.

See? Do those 3 things and you can have everything you want while getting everything you NEED. No good. No bad. Just delicious and balanced!

-YDF,

Lindsey