If you come across any nutritionist, health coach or dietitian that blanketly removes a food group for everyone without knowing their history, age, sex, goals, allergies, food behaviours, medical history, lifestyle, stress, coping mechanisms, sleep habits, support network etc etc etc then I would advise caution.
The title of this article is a bit clickbait…what it should really say is ‘All foods are allowed but you must be aware of whether that food loves you back or not’. Not quite as catchy.
I suspect your response to that title is…how do I know if the food loves me back or not? My answer to that is: you pay attention.
Pay attention to how you feel after you eat, do you get lethargic, tummy aches, changeable bowels, skin irritations, headaches, excessively gurgly tummy, skin reactions, sinus symptoms, bloating, irritable, brain fog, cravings (esp sugar), achey joints, mood changes, excessive wind and to be quite frank I could go on and on because food that doesn’t love you back, creates such a vast array of symptoms (that you would not generally associate with food) it’s hard to list them all.
These symptoms may even arise a while after you have eaten. For example, I have a client that gets angry and irritable 24-48hrs after she has eaten gluten and this spirals into poorer food choices. It took her commitment and time to realise this but the freedom it has given her is priceless. She is not coeliac but is sensitive to it and can make her own mind up whether she really really wants that muffin or not. If she does, she manages the fallout because she understands it.
I have another client who knows that dairy milk chocolate causes gut concerns, blood sugar spikes and eczema flair ups. Once she started eating dairy milk she couldn’t stop. She now knows that she can have dark chocolate without symptoms but on the occasions that she really fancies dairy milk (which is a lot less now), she has it as a desert rather than a snack (to avoid the blood sugar spike), she rarely gets symptoms from the few squares she has and because she knows it is not ‘off limits’ she does not obsess over it.
I also have other clients who are coeliac or highly sensitive to the effects of dairy and they know that their bodies response to these foods is not worth the fallout. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.
I am saying that YES, you can have that cinnamon bun, white chocolate, creamy pasta, cheesy chips BUT be educated about it.
I know all of those foods will likely have negative effects on most people but is that 1 cinnamon bun going to make you smile when you are having a coffee with friends and you really fancy one? Or will you avoid it and sit their obsessing over it and feel deprived, draining your willpower and likely going overboard later on? Or will you just not fancy it because you are educated & feeling better!? One thing I know for sure……it will vary! Forever. And that is ok, it is NORMAL! However, the more you pay attention, the less willpower draining behaviour will occur.
If you have never paid attention to your bodies response to food, start now. I have a sneaky suspicion you probably know more than you realise and have just not brought it to the forefront of your mind. If you do one thing this week…pay attention to your bodies response to the foods you eat. Make a physical or mental note. Talk yourself through any change you may put into play and if you are unsure please contact us.
Comments