Foods have become extreme!
Every bite has got to be a party in our mouth!
And I’m no different. I want every bite to be exciting, thrilling, interesting and delicious.
I love eating, I love good food!
But I think we’ve gone too far.
We’ve got chips flavored like chicken and waffles, and Goldfish crackers flavored like strawberry-cheesecake or pizza. Halloween candy comes in different shapes and colors – much of it doesnt even look anything like food! It’s extreme.
Making food exciting has become an industry trend.
This quote is from a food-processing trade ezine:
“Foods and beverages are considered more than just nourishment; today it’s often about the experience these products provide. Marketers are answering this call with new jazzed-up versions of yesterday’s products and new flavors and combinations that bring excitement to everyday eating”
“Excitement to everyday eating” There’s something about that last line that I want to change.
I want it to read…everyday eating IS exciting.
Because if we see everyday eating – and by that I mean eating real food, whole foods, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, healthy fats and high-quality protein – then we won’t get so caught in trying to constantly be creating a party in our mouth.
But it’s hard for real-food to compete with the intense flavors of “engineered party-in-your-mouth-food”. Party in your mouth food is highly flavored, highly salted, highly sugared. It’s even packaged to look really cute – party wear!
But just like any wild party, these party foods have an after effect. You end up feeling like crap the next day. A bit sluggish, a bit hungover and not too happy about yourself.
So, how do you say no to the party-food experience and still enjoy the excitement and pleasure of food.
Here are 3 ways to make everyday eating exciting!
1. Choose something new that excites your mouth!
Get curious in the produce section of the grocery store. Ask for a sample of fruits and veggies you may not have ever tried.
Today I discovered Scuppernongs – a wow kind of grape! A few years ago my kids and I walked out of a Chinese grocery store with a weapon looking fruit called a Durian – so sweet and delicious and yet so stinky! I also love kiwi berries and persimmons.
2. Slow down and savor
Even an apple can be a total party in your mouth if you slow down, breath and really notice every little flavor and texture. Mindful eating bring excitement to everyday eating.
3. Look for excitement that isn’t a food.
Often we reach for a candy bar or chips when we’re looking for a little emotional stimulation. We’re reaching for food in an attempt to change our emotional and physical state. I used to do this a lot when I was bored, tired or frustrated with studying. I wanted to shift my experience and I’d try to create a party in my mouth so I’d reach for the junk food. A healthier way to shake things up is to literally shake yourself up! Get moving – jump up and down, dance around. Getting our energy moving in our body will shift our need for food and mouth excitement.
Make the shift to natural pleasures, it will help you step into a healthy and positive relationship with your body and you won’t have that day-after-the-party regret.
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Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life! She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com
She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.
She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
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Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.
She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.
Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.
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