{"id":264989,"date":"2024-11-21T00:29:55","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T00:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/21\/how-to-break-free-from-food-guilt-this-holiday-season\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:10:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:10:25","slug":"how-to-break-free-from-food-guilt-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/21\/how-to-break-free-from-food-guilt-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Break Free From Food Guilt This Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A few years ago, nutritionist Mia Rigden<\/a> shared her expertise on the topic of food freedom<\/a>. As I read, I\u2019ll admit I was skeptical\u2014not of what she was sharing, but if I could ever release my own relenting food guilt. How could I truly feel free in a world filled with conflicting food rules, societal pressure, and the constant tug-of-war between what I want to eat and what I think I should<\/em> eat? But as I read Mia\u2019s words, something clicked. Food freedom wasn\u2019t about eating whatever I wanted without a second thought\u2014it was about reframing my relationship with food entirely.<\/p>\n

Mia defines food freedom as feeling confident and empowered in your food choices, loving what you eat, and ditching the guilt or stress around your plate. It\u2019s about feeling vibrant, energetic, and in tune with your body, and creating healthy habits<\/a> that fit your life and bring you joy. As someone who has struggled with negative thought patterns<\/a> around food for years, this perspective struck a chord.<\/p>\n

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How to Break Free From Food Guilt, Once and for All<\/h2>\n

For so long, I thought I was stuck in a cycle of shame and restriction. But Mia\u2019s words offered a new way forward: by building habits I genuinely enjoy and understanding what nourishes my body, I could start to trust myself around food. That shift\u2014from control to empowerment\u2014felt life-changing. Inspired, I dove deeper, speaking with Lisa Hayim<\/a>, a registered dietitian and mindful eating expert. Ahead, Lisa shares tips for simple, actionable ways we can all define our relationship with food\u2014and finally feel free.<\/p>\n

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That shift\u2014from control to empowerment\u2014felt life-changing. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Lisa Hayim is a registered dietitian and yoga teacher with her Masters in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Columbia University. She\u2019s excited to marry medicinal movement with mindfulness and nutrition as a method for restoring the mind-body connection.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What is food freedom?<\/h2>\n

Food freedom is the ability to be flexible with your food choices and use your values to help you determine what truly matters to you. When we achieve food freedom, we feel a tremendous amount of power.\u00a0It\u2019s surprising to those that finally move away from their \u201ccontrols\u201d like dieting or counting calories\/macros to learn that the true power and control they were after comes from giving up control.<\/p>\n

I know it sounds backward and hard to believe, but when we take the pressure we put on our external bodies off and begin to trust the internal process at work, we recognize that no food is \u201cbad\u201d and that eating food that isn\u2019t \u201cnutritionally perfect\u201d does not have the power to derail us or truly affect our bodies\u2014so long as we stay present with the process and notice our internal responses. <\/p>\n

How to Shift Your Mindset Around Food<\/h2>\n

Start to notice your thoughts around food. Many of us have food fears or concrete thoughts about what\/when\/how much we should eat ingrained into us. Once we start to pick them apart (one at a time!) and challenge them, we can start to build our inner wisdom. That\u2019s a modern mindful eating term used to describe the knowledge you start to gather about your unique body.<\/p>\n

Tips to Help You Release Food Guilt Over the Holidays<\/h2>\n

I have some tips on what you can do to not get overly full or to not waste your energy on overthinking about food, allowing you to be more present for your loved ones.<\/p>\n

Find Your Safe Spot<\/h3>\n

As soon as you arrive at any venue, find a place where you feel comfortable.\u00a0 Mine is usually a bathroom since it\u2019s quiet.\u00a0I usually go there first and catch my breath and check in with myself. Throughout the meal, I may need to retreat there, I may not. Many people can check in with themselves without leaving the table. I find the holidays to be harder\u2014the laughter is loud, and the pour is heavy. In some instances, there could be some family triggers\u2014all of which could throw you off. Therefore, I need a place to check in with myself, maybe give myself a pep talk, and evaluate where I\u2019m at.<\/p>\n

Prepare<\/h3>\n

Try not to walk into any event without having eaten within the past three hours. This does not<\/em> mean you should eat entirely before and feel awkward while you\u2019re there. At parties, we forfeit\u00a0control\u2014we don\u2019t decide what is served when it\u2019s served, or how it is served. All we can do is prepare the best we can. Don\u2019t lose your cool over those salty-sweet\u00a0brie and jelly sandwiches. Stay calm, don\u2019t go in starving, and continue to ask yourself what you want and how much you want. And above all, enjoy yourself\u2014you\u2019re there to have fun, after all!<\/p>\n

Decide What You Love<\/h3>\n

Buffets and\u00a0big dinner parties make it hard to choose what to eat. Instead, commit to one thing you really want and stay focused on it. Love sweet potatoes? Great! Get them and be excited about eating them. Try not to reach for something you\u2019re kind of \u201ceh\u201d about. Take a look around, decide what you really love\u2014what\u2019s calling your name\u2014and skip the stuff that doesn\u2019t excite you. Pro tip: don\u2019t make these decisions before you get there. Let your body\u2014and intuition\u2014lead the way.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Forget to Enjoy Yourself<\/h3>\n

Feel like you need to check out and can\u2019t tune in with your hunger\/desires? That\u2019s where \u201couter wisdom\u201d comes in. No one wants to have a painfully full feeling in their stomach without having even enjoyed the meal. Eat, have fun, be merry\u2014after all, it is what the holidays are all about.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author\/s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Camille Styles.<\/i>\u00a0Any content provided by our authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n