Learning To Trust Ourselves With Food
Article by Lizzy Cangro, BSC MSC ANUTR
Let me ask you this: how much of your time, money, and, quite frankly, well-being have you wasted on bad advice, fad diets, supplements, and diet pills over the years?
I wouldn’t be surprised if you have invested hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds in your lifetime. According to Yoni Freedhoff in his book, The Diet Fix, the weight loss industry has grown to be a $66 billion industry, yet at least 90% of diets fail.[1]
The heart-breaking thing is, so many of us have given our power to individuals and companies that don’t want us to love ourselves. If we loved ourselves, we wouldn’t need them anymore, and they wouldn’t make money from us. If you trusted yourself to make healthy, balanced choices, you wouldn’t need to buy into their illusion.
How much more of your hard-earned cash are you willing to give away to fund the diet industry?
The rebellious act:
Learning to trust yourself by taking responsibility for your health and wellness is the key to breaking free from the shackles of the diet industry. When we take responsibility, we are acknowledging that we have a choice.
Self-trust means we are trusting ourselves with our choice...
I’ve been there. I know it’s scary to trust yourself with the decisions you make over food. You were, however, born with the intrinsic ability to nourish yourself. Your body’s functions are so elegant and sophisticated, including letting us know when we’re hungry, full, or require more of a certain nutrient. Ever craved chocolate when you’re on your period? Well, that’s your body signalling to you that it needs a feel-good pick-me-up of carbohydrates.
Another excellent example is the wonder of our liver in naturally detoxifying substances within our body. Whilst you’re recovering from a hangover, your liver is working super efficiently to process all the alcohol you consumed the night before.
As a result, you don’t need to do a cleanse. Trust me, they are a waste of time and money. They can also lead to nutrient deficiencies and, in the case of juice cleanses, cause unhealthy spikes in your blood sugar. Yes, the marketing is attractive, and the packaging may look nice on the refrigerator shelf, but that’s the nicest thing I can say about cleanses.
Be rebellious and turn your back on these lies. Toss all your little bottles and, instead, learn to trust yourself, whether that’s eating carbs or having a small glass of wine with dinner. Not only will you feel better within your body, you’ll be nourishing your bank balance.
The solution
Warning: learning to trust yourself with food requires time and practice. This is certainly not an overnight, one-and-done thing. The secret sauce is deciding to be 100% committed to the process and being kind to yourself throughout.
Making the decision to listen to and honour what your body is telling you is one of the most important things you can do. This can be accomplished in several ways, but start by tuning into something as basic as your hunger levels. When you’re unsure whether to eat and how much, rate your hunger on a scale of 1–10. If you are a four or below, eat something. Stop when you reach a seven.
Ultimately, with learning to trust yourself with food, you need to go within and ask yourself what your body needs. However, I also understand the genuine need for clarification and support with some areas of nutrition. This is where working with a qualified nutritionist and knowing where to look for reliable information is invaluable.
For example, a lot of people ask me about the keto diet (as well as other diet fads out there). This is something that I generally do not recommend, and when I explain to clients why carbohydrates should be around 45%–65% of our total energy,[2] I tend to get suspicious looks. Carbohydrates are our body’s preferred source of energy, and not having enough in our diets can lead to brain fog and lack-lustre workouts.
I love hearing how, after eating more whole grains, fruits, and veggies, my clients have so much more energy. These ‘aha!’ moments are great, but they also highlight a challenge with learning to trust yourself with food. The sheer volume of information out there can set you on the wrong path with your nutrition, suck you back into questioning your choices, and confuse the hell out of you.
The key is to know how to wade through this information. You can use your gut instinct in this respect, but you can also look at who is giving this advice and decide from there if you trust them.
The title nutritionist is not protected by law (unlike dietician). Therefore, please be mindful of this, especially on the internet and social media. When deciding whether to work with a nutritionist or even when reading an article, my tip is to be on the lookout for certain letters after that person’s name.
There is a voluntary register, called the Association for Nutrition, of qualified professionals with degrees in nutrition from British universities. These people can use the letters ANutr or RNutr (Associate or Registered Nutritionist) after their name.
Working with a qualified professional can enrich your knowledge and further your self-confidence. My aim is that clients never need me after six months; by then they trust themselves enough to nourish themselves with their nutrition. To me, that sounds so much more freeing than being stuck in the hamster wheel of the diet industry for the rest of your life. Wouldn’t you agree?
This material is written and copyrighted by Associate Registered Nutritionist and Wellness Coach, Lizzy Cangro. Lizzy holds masters in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and Nutrition from King’s College London. Her rebellious approach to health and wellness incorporates nutrition and mindset to help clients lose stubborn fat, have more energy, gain more confidence and achieve a greater sense of wellbeing. And now she’s here to help you do the same with her new book, ‘Reclaim the Rebel’. Visit www.nutritionbylizzy.com and find her on Instagram @nutritionbylizzy for more details.
References:
[1] Yoni Freedoff, The Diet Fix: Why Diets Fail and How to Make Yours Work (New York, NY: Harmony, 2014).
[2] Joanne Slavin and Justin Carlson, “Carbohydrates,” Advances in Nutrition 5, no. 6 (November 3, 2014): 760–61, https://www.doi.org/10.3945/an.114.006163.