Diet vs. Habits

Can we have a heart to heart about the word “diet” this poor word has gotten a bad rap for years, we avoid the conversation, we try not to say this four letter word around our children, we want body positivity so “diet” has been a victim of cancel culture, instead of education we’ve canceled it and if you haven't noticed the obesity rates have done nothing but skyrocket in this country and the age gets younger and younger.

I honestly believe we need to educate with the purpose of explaining diet vs. habits (oh, another word we dislike, because we like to blame genetics of all of our unhealthy symptoms instead of being truthful that the majority of our habits have come from our “genetic lifestyles, NOT our genetic makeup) and this is why I start my clients off with a conversation about diets, in the real sense of what it means according to the definition in the Oxford language in the noun form is “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.” what do you buy, ingest and order nothing is labeled good or bad and later we get in the verb tense “to restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.” this one is where the cancel culture has infiltrated our thinking and has gotten way out of hand. This is a HUGE conversation, in all of my years of coaching I think these two definitions have overlapped and the eating for restriction and negativity attachment has taken over and for sure has wrecked havoc on our mindset, our hormones, our gut health, our self esteem and has increase an all or nothing mindset.

Let’s dive in, eating (our daily diet) is an essential part of life. We cannot sustain life for long without eating, so it is important that we take the time to learn how to eat well in order to have the best life possible. Our views of eating or not eating and the eating practices we either habitually continue or reframe will affect our lives and our health in significant ways in the months and years ahead. Eating well can literally change everything. Eating can be both a blessing and a curse. Many people struggle with eating because they cannot keep the ideas of needing a quick fix, cheaper, faster and falling into the SAD (standard American Diet) out of our minds, it’s a vicious cycle. They end up eating too little or too much and do not live healthy lives because of it. We all know the dangers of eating too little. Probably everyone has at least one friend that struggles with an eating disorder of some kind, if it’s not the person in the mirror, I understand this is the issue we need to talk about but not cancel the reality it’s from making the words like healthier, habits and daily diet bad. That friend just cannot seem to get a grip on their eating patterns and they are unhealthy because of it. They think about or talk about food almost constantly. Other people struggle with eating too much. Eating more food than we need to live is something that the majority of people, at least in the West, struggle with. Eating is associated with most kinds of social activities, events, celebrations, after school treats and therefore people learn to eat for reasons other than to satisfy hunger or prolong their health. Eating becomes a way to experience pleasure or to numb the pains of life.

Here’s where I believe education is vital, learning to love food, learning to eat enough of the right food and learning no thank you is a tool to stay on track with feeling your best without guilt or shame, to learn YES when you truly want to enjoy a treat or celebration and finding that balance for a lifetime, reframing the habitual habits not just for today, but for a legacy of new healthier eating habits and therefore changing the way we live, eat, move, and heal our bodies from the inside out. truth is that whether people struggle with eating too little or with indulging on food too much, they are not using food in ways that are healthy and life-promoting. Eating, while it is denitely meant to bring people pleasure and satisfaction, is primarily to be a means of sustaining a healthy life. Our problems begin anytime eating is neglected or indulged in beyond what is necessary. Take a look at your eating patterns aka: your diet. You may be surprised to see that you have established unhealthy eating habits over the years. Perhaps your schedule for each day is centered around when you can have meals or a snack. If so, there is a high chance that food has become a bit too high of a priority. Anytime that your thoughts are consumed with food, whether with restraining yourself from it or with consuming more of it, you might be thinking of eating and of food in unhealthy ways. Giving eating a rightful place in our lives without allowing it to become consuming is the key. I love food, I love teaching others how to enjoy food and make healthier choices that lead to a happier, more energetic and healthier lifestyle.

Making the shift to see your diet as a tool to change your habits from sleep, exercise, digestion, gut health, joint pain, skin issues, hormone balance and so much more.

Your life will be better and longer when you see your diet not as something to be ashamed of or to deny delicious foods or any food group but instead celebrate the reframing of the mindset to exchange guilt with the feeling of being fully satisfied with your choices.

Here are a few tools to see what your mindset is around a balanced eating, these are two very different programs that I use to help my clients reframe the word diet and see it has fuel, energy, and so much more we start with the mindset around eating, when you know the WHY behind the actions and habits you can figure the rest out so much fast. (remember my last blog The Naked Truth, I shared weight loss is a side effect of a healthy lifestyle not a goal to attain by itself)

Take the “Find My Eating Plan” quiz

Curious about your Gut Health here is another tool for you Check Your Gut

Coach Joy Bracero

If you’d like to chat further about your quiz results or continuing this conversation please send me a quick email and I will respond personally within 24 hours to answer any questions or chat further about this topic.