Processed foods. So convenient, so time-saving, so labor-saving, so appealing, … and we’ve been told time and time again they’re so very bad for your health. You’ve probably heard all about the evils of processed foods and how you should avoid them at all costs. I don’t subscribe to that message.
While it is true that the fresher the food, the more nutritious it is, there’s a lot more to life than nutrition. And I know as a wellness coach that it doesn’t work to focus on avoiding something bad or depriving yourself. All it does is make you miserable and it ALWAYS backfires in the end.
I’ve found it’s much more effective and enjoyable to focus attention on positive rather than negative aspects, to focus on bringing more of the good into your life than decreasing or cutting out the bad.
To illustrate my point, imagine you’re walking into the grocery store and you’re committed to eating more foods that energize you. Which thought focus feels better and more effective to you?:
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You’re thinking about your favorite fruit and how ripe it looks in the produce section, how great it’s going to taste when you take it home and eat it, and how terrific you’re going to feel afterward.
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You’re thinking about how sad you are that you’re not allowed to have those ‘bad’ foods. You have to avoid the cookie aisle at all costs. Just walk past. Whatever you do, don’t look!
Waging war against foods labeled as ‘unhealthy’ in our society is a sure-fire path to misery. We try not to think about them but we can’t help it. We deprive ourselves of them using our white-knuckled willpower until we can’t take it anymore and we ‘lose control.’ And then we beat ourselves up mercilessly and the cycle starts all over again.
Instead of focusing on eliminating processed foods from your life, or any other foods that society has labeled ‘bad,’ try this quick exercise:
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Get a piece of paper and a pen and write down a few of your favorite foods that boost your energy and vitality. Don’t choose foods you think you should be eating because they are labeled by others as ‘healthy.’ Be sure to pick YOUR favorites, those foods you feel great about eating and that make you feel good.
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Write down in detail why you like them and how you feel after eating them.
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Brainstorm ways you can incorporate one more serving of them into your day.
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Pick one of your ideas and implement it. Relish the experience when you eat this favorite food. Really savor it.
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Return to this exercise as often as you like.