How do we teach our kids how to have a healthy realtionship with food?
We need food in order to live. It is not something we can just remove from our lives if it stresses us out. We should be putting a lot more focus into learning and specifically teaching our children how to create a healthy relationship with food. We need to give them the control to make decisions. This will empower them to live healthy, happy lives.
This starts with us, with the parents and specifically the moms. We form the backbone of the family. We also control most of what our families eat. So, moms, in a world where the dieting /health industries make up Billions of $$$$ “s, we need to ask ourselves what is our relationship with food like? Do we eat regular meals? Do we sit down to eat? Are we eating in your car? On the run? Do we emotionally eat? and why?
This is important, our children watch and mimic everything we do. They learn what is ‘normal” from us. We have a responsibility to take this seriously.
They learn from what we do.
How much to eat?
It is vital that we encourage our children to tune into their bodies. To learn those subtle guides of when our body needs nourishment. At this point I would really suggest looking into a selfcare framework for eating-Intuitive Eating. Check out the book here.
When to eat?
When you are hungry – simple right but think about the last time we forced our kids into eating a meal that they may not have necessarily been hungry for. When this happens, we lose the ability to feel when we are hungry. Another is to eat for comfort, sadness, or stress. Emotional eating gets a really bad wrap, but we are human, we have emotions, and we need to feel those emotions. Instead, we can rather teach our children other ways to manage stress. To express their feelings and use other coping mechanisms. We can use language to help us express ourselves but and this comes from practice.
What to eat?
Oh man, I could talk about this for hours. The important thing to teach our kids is : you cannot be on a diet/lifestyle plan 100% for ever. Then it is not the right diet/eating plan for you. Yes, some people swear by keto and others are vegan. The key thing is that you are not restricting to the point that, at some point you will binge. The binge-restrict cycle can be incredibly damaging to your body and self -esteem..
It is important to mention knowing the difference between a food intolerance and allergy at this point. Just because a friend cannot eat Gluten, does not make it bad for us. It makes it bad for that person. By naming food good and bad we can encourage a poor relationship with food.
Where to eat?
In an age of fast everything, we have made food and eating an inconvenience. We no longer sit down as a family to enjoy a meal. We eat on the run; we eat pre-packed foods and do not give ourselves time to enjoy how wonderful eating can be as an experience. Slow down and enjoy your meals with loved ones as often as possible. Eating can allow us time to share and to connect.
Want to create better healthy habits for you and your children?
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Michelle