What Food Freedom Looks Like
Food freedom is a state where you abandon food rules and thus give yourself full permission to enjoy the foods you want. Striving for this liberates ourselves from the guilt or shame that may arise after eating. We should feel happy and satisfied following a delicious meal or a delightful snack, instead of drowning in remorse for not being ‘healthy’ or breaking a toxic food rule.
As humans, we have a natural love for food. This should be normalized, rather than deemed an oddity. To develop a healthy relationship with food, we must begin by refusing to acknowledge the false correlation between food and self-respect. This can be difficult though, since there is much information online that makes us believe our appearance = our self-worth and thus food appears to be our sole enemy.
Diet culture, as most know, is the opposite of food freedom. It promotes restriction and exercise as ways of achieving very unrealistic goals, especially targeting those who struggle with negative self-image. At its core, diet culture values one's outer appearance over one's good physical and mental health.
This is extremely harmful to embrace. Inner well-being is more important than ANY other part of you, needless to say an outer appearance that reflects almost nothing about you, your character, wonderful personality, and your passions.
Learning how food freedom may manifest itself through the infographic above gives you a picture of how food freedom challenges flawed perceptions towards food that stems from negative self-image. By first healing your relationship with food, a balance is restored in your life that will help you develop a more positive, loving attitude towards yourself.
Remember: Food is fuel. Without food, we would be unable to nourish our bodies with the nutrients and vitamins that it needs not only for survival, but the passions and daily activities in our lives.
This week is national eating disorder awareness week, which not only disputes diet culture but is dedicated to:
clarifying the types of eating disorders
debunking myths and eliminating stigma around them
sharing ideas that challenge eating disorders, like food freedom
and more!