There is a lot of buzz around the term “food freedom” on social media and with good reason! Having freedom from food is great, but what does it actually mean? I’m going to discuss what it means to be food freedom, what the benefits are, and the five steps you can take right now to start living it!
What is Food Freedom?
The concept of food freedom can mean different things to different people, but in general, it means that you can eat whatever you want in a way that feels good mentally and physically. It’s not stressful, anxiety-producing, or guilt-inducing to make food choices.
In other words, you’ve reclaimed your power from food and diet culture, no longer letting food rules dictate your diet. When your relationship with food and body is positive, you are in a state of food freedom.
Why You Should Care About Food Freedom?
Food freedom doesn’t happen overnight. This is a gradual process that requires reevaluating your thoughts and behaviors regarding food. Young people tend to establish eating behaviors that can be difficult to change later in life. What did your mom say when she told you that you have to finish everything on your plate or you won’t leave the table?
A healthy diet and lifestyle can lead to the following benefits:
- More energy
- Better Health
- Having a positive relationship with food
- Easier movement
- Enhancement of body image
- Greater alertness
Eating Behaviors and Emotions Influence Food Freedom
People who suffer from a poor relationship with food commonly experience the following thoughts, behaviors, and emotions:
- Guilt
- Shame
- All-or-nothing mentality
- Food rules
- Lack of control
- Good and bad food labels
If you say these things during your session, a Dietitian can help you identify them. A nutrition counselor can then help you discuss and change these thoughts. There are some cases in which a mental health professional may be recommended as some of these behaviors can indicate anxiety or other mental health issues.
You can also work on self-compassion to improve your relationship with food on the road to food freedom.
Tips to Pursue Food Freedom
A non-diet approach to health based on food freedom frees you from thin ideals, diet culture, unhealthy weight loss or weight management behavior, and yo-yo dieting.
You can be free of restriction and judgment no matter what approach you choose, whether you choose mindful eating or the 10 principles of intuitive eating.
Here are some tips:
- To help you with mindful eating, seek out a registered dietitian who is certified in intuitive eating or who practices mindful eating techniques.
- Retrain yourself to look at food as something to be enjoyed rather than something to be avoided (such as pleasure, energy, or nourishment).
- In the same way, foods should be devoid of morality. Having pleasure in food shouldn’t make you feel inferior or superior to others, and you’re not a bad person for eating it.
- Allow yourself to enjoy pleasurable foods on a regular basis. Having control over certain foods will make you feel more comfortable.
- Ensure that you stay hydrated and engage in fun physical activities in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There is more to health than just a number on a scale.
- Instead of eating based on external cues (such as time of day, or feel like you need to finish all the food on your plate), listen to your internal signals (emotions, feelings of fullness, and hunger).
- You should eat slowly and savor your food without distractions.
- You should choose more foods that make you feel good based on how they make you feel.
As a non-diet approach to nutrition, food freedom aims to help individuals listen to their bodies, remove moral judgment from food, and focus on health-promoting behaviors as opposed to weight loss.
Weight Loss Through Intuitive Eating
Weight loss that is intentional is an attempt to change your body weight with the goal of losing weight. Despite studies showing intuitive eating can lead to weight loss and a lower body mass index (BMI), intuitive eating is not a weight loss technique.
There is no point in advertising weight loss as an outcome of intuitive eating because some people may lose weight while others may maintain or gain weight. It is only through intuitive eating that your body can determine its “happy weight,” or biological weight set point.
Additionally, mindful eating’s fundamental principles are not about weight loss, although some weight loss programs have adopted its messages.
There are also programs that promote slow-paced weight loss while focusing on health-promoting habits and small calorie deficits that encourage weight loss without completely avoiding foods that are not nutrient-dense.
Wind Up
“Food freedom” refers to overcoming restrictive diets and diet culture, as well as embracing food sovereignty. Food freedom emphasizes listening to your internal cues, decoupling foods from morality, and focusing on health-promoting behaviors rather than weight loss.
