Have you noticed how so many people seem to have an aversion to healthy foods?
As soon as the word ‘healthy’ comes in to play in association with eating, you’ll see the majority of people screw up their noses in distaste and say that they aren’t keen on healthy foods.
This attitude is so common among many of us as a result of a number of factors which all combine to leave us with an impression of healthy eating which associates self-deprivation, being ‘good’, ‘responsible’ and denying ourselves with looking after our nutritional intake and having a positive approach to great foods. This can often come from childhood, when we form many of our associations with food.
How many times were you told that you couldn’t have dessert until you’d finished off your sprouts, or given unhealthy food as a bribe, reward, or way of keeping you occupied?
The reinforced view of foods as being ‘bad’ or ‘unhealthy’
The problem is, even before our taste buds have developed fully, we learn unhelpful associations with healthy foods. The government constantly brings in new legislation about how many healthy foods we should be eating each day, warning us of the dangers of salt intake, saturated fats or too much sugar. This simply serves to reinforce our idea of healthy food as being a responsibility and a chore, rather than something which can actually bring a whole lot of pleasure and boost our wellbeing at the same time.
If you are faced with the choice of eating an apple or having a bar of chocolate, most of us will naturally reach for the chocolate. This is despite the fact that eating an apple can be a really pleasurable, sensory experience. Imagine a world without apples, and you were given one for the very first time. Imagine your wonder at seeing its vibrant colour, and then taking that first bite in to the crisp flesh and tasting the rush of sweetness that comes with it.
Sampling the forbidden fruit
If an apple were classed as a forbidden substance, as the Adam and Eve scenario in the bible suggests, wouldn’t it take on a completely different appeal?
If you were allowed to eat just one apple a year, can you imagine the anticipation, thrill and interest this might provoke? This is a simple example of how our ingrained approaches to foods can often lead us away from the truth of eating, and the simple pleasures that even a healthy choice can bring.
Our attitude towards ‘healthy’ eating can often lead to life-long struggles of perceived self-denial and a punishment/reward habit. The good news is, with a combination of hypnosis and coaching, many of these misplaced associations can quickly be challenged and replaced by a suite of positive affirmations and a really fresh approach to our eating habits. Instead of viewing healthy eating as a chore which we need to master each day, imagine if our taste buds could start each day as if they were newly developed, sampling an incredible array of foods for the very first time? Suddenly, the prospect of trying new avenues for our food choices becomes more of an adventure, and less of a chore.
Breaking the cycle of punishment/reward
Classifying some foods as ‘healthy’ and some as not is the very worst disservice society has done to the pleasurable, sensual and ultimately satisfying act of eating. You can use a combination of hypnosis and coaching to rediscover eating for pleasure, far removed from traditional notions of guilt and reward. Just this simple step change opens up a wealth of positive possibilities for you each day, as you come to regard the act of eating as a truly fulfilling and interesting activity. It could be the ideal time for you to rediscover the endless pleasure of eating for health and wellbeing, basking in the associated smugness of making great choices, while at the same time appreciating the power of choosing foods because they taste great and bring you energy and nutrients, instead of because your parents told you that you should!
Discover a new realm of taste and health
Healthy eating isn’t about eating seven sprouts a day, selecting vegetables that make you miserable or replacing all pieces of cake with carrot sticks. With hypnosis and coaching, you can remodel your approach and discover a whole range of new choices, possibilities and experiences, all without the usual sense of guilt, self-denial and negativity you’ve always held about your eating habits. What could be better than that?
