More than just carbs and calories, food plays an important role in our health and happiness that we seldom acknowledge. We focus so much on nutrition rather than the actual experience surrounding our food, but how we eat and with who we eat also affect our personal relationship with food.
Whether for religious, cultural or personal reasons, our experience with food contribute largely to how we identify with it. As much as we identify ourselves with these rituals, it doesn’t mean they’re the healthiest for us. Holiday traditions and childhood memories, for example, affect our food rituals today. Some of us might even have food ‘baggage’ that weigh us down, make us scared, and prevent us from making the desired healthy changes. Influenced by our environment, our family and our traditions, our food rituals hold so much meaning in our lives that they’re difficult to change.
Adopting a new routine doesn’t mean you have to give up your old traditions; you just have to modify them. Although not often the healthiest, my family food traditions mean the world to me. But I choose these options less often, cut the servings in half, or substitute ingredients as a compromise. Most dishes are easy enough to modify so we can stay on track with our new changes but not lose any tradition along the way.
Doing a self-check is the first step to creating a healthy food ritual. Am I ready to make these changes? Can I bend other aspects of my life to accommodate for these changes? Drastic changes made over a short period of time don’t usually work; it’s taken your whole life to get to where you are today, so don’t force huge changes over night. “It takes 21 days to form a habit” holds some truth. You need to allow yourself time to identify with the changes and how they fit in your life.
A solid support system can make rather than break the transition towards your new healthy food ritual. I consult my girlfriends for everything and my diet is no exception. Once you’re ready to make changes, fill in anyone that you share your food experiences with and let them know how they can help you out. In the last couple of years I’ve switched to more of a vegetarian diet. My friends and family didn’t understand at first, making it difficult for me. Over time, I’ve included them in my food rituals by sharing my favourite dishes and making them a part of my experience. Having supportive people involved helped me identify with my choices, making the transition easier.
Do you have any rituals or traditions? Do you identify with any food in a special way? Since spring represents new beginnings, what better time to make some fresh changes! What does your healthy food ritual look like? Share your comments below and get started!
Image from the Food Standards Agency (food.gov.uk)
