LIFE MASTERY PODCAST 236 - IS EATING FOR PLEASURE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

Diets tend to pull us away from foods that we enjoy. Pleasure is often viewed as a moral failing. I can't even count how often I've had clients come to me believing they can't or shouldn't use spices when they cook! Pleasure (or satisfaction) when we eat is very much tied to our health though. In this episode of The Diet Doc Life Mastery Podcast, Elizabeth Brouillard and Kori Propst, PhD share the many ways in which experiencing pleasure when we eat actually helps us to be able to regulate our eating healthfully. When we eat with a feeling of shame (either because we chose a food that we love but that isn't in line with our macros or calorie counts or meal plans) we are not tuned into the food or our senses with that particular food. This can lead to rebound eating. If the thought, "Well I already blew my day, so I might as well eat more of it!" sounds familiar, this can be a result of not allowing ourselves pleasure while eating. When we are dieting, often we're coming to a meal overly hungry. This can happen because we have a strict policy about having to wait a certain amount of time before eating or because we are just never feeling satisfied from the meals we do eat. Entering a meal this way can lead to rapid eating and the inability to focus on the tastes, textures, or even aroma sensations of the food. There is value in not restricting to the point of hangry, and yet so many diets get us to this place before eating. When we eat with pleasure in mind, food, seemingly ironically, also loses its power. We can act with a greater sense of agency in choosing what to eat, how much, and why we're eating it. Without the all-or-nothing mindset and rigid rules, we can notice when we might be reaching a pleasure threshold, and put the food away or decide to have more later when we're hungry. In all, eating for pleasure is incredibly healthy-- it meets a number of psychological, physical, and emotional needs! Learn more and explore with us what this can look like for you! Join The Rock Your Body Revolution Challe