Serving Table

As you know , one of our essential element is food . It's disconcerting that so many people mentally classify foodas good or bad. "Good carbs" and "bad carbs," "good fat" versus "bad fat." Why does this irk me? Apparently, when you eata "good carb," that makes you a good person, and when you eat a "bad carb," you become bad.


Why is the individual who eats whole grain bread better than the person who eats white bread? As a nutritionist, I am certainly not a fan of hydrogenated peanut butter on white bread, but I know plenty of intelligent, healthy peoplewho hate natural peanut butter and love mushy white bread. And you know what? They are perfectly capable of making otherhealthy food choices, as well as good decisions in the other parts of their lives.


These "good" and "bad" assumptions on food choices are a total waste of our energy. When you eat the yummy Haagen Dazice cream on a hot summer afternoon and suddenly feel like a bad person for doing so, you feel guilty. When you doubtyour food choices, then you doubt the rest of the choices you make in your life. After all, if you can't trust yourselfto make good food choices, can you trust yourself at all?


Let's put an end to this crazy mentality! What about thinking of food choices as simply "healthier" or "not as healthy"?"Essential" or "nonessential"? It is a fact that it's healthier to choose whole wheat bread over white bread, since thereare more nutrients in the whole grains than in the refined flours. In reality, the TRUTH is this has nothing what-so-everto do with the kind of person you are, your character or, (if I may use this term), "badness." I believe that if we allowourselves to relax, we will ultimately create a balance and most of our choices will be ones that fall into the healthycolumn. And, more importantly, we will also learn to trust ourselves in making good decisions in the other areas of ourlives.


Becoming "at peace with food" involves a journey resulting in a new relationship with food. Instead of being markedby frustration and disappointment, by fear and competition between you and the food you eat, food will take its placeas one of the many activities in your life, along with family, friends, working and being active. And, like these otheractivities, it should be pleasurable.


In order to become truly at peace with food, you need to learn about yourself and why you have the relationship you dowith the food you eat. Like all relationships, your relationship with food took time to develop, and it will take timeto change.

Author : Ms. Nancy Clack