4 THINGS YOU SHOULD STOP SAYING ABOUT FOOD

Almost everyone finds food the most fun thing there is. Cooking for friends, romantic dinners with your partner, lingering over dinner, having lunch somewhere with a glass of wine. Nowadays, we are also flooded with the best food blogs, new restaurants are popping up everywhere, magazines are filled with the tastiest breakfasts, but there is also a lot of writing about what we should and shouldn't eat. I can imagine that sometimes you get a bit crazy from it. It's just that I've been interested in food and sports for years, so I can't get too worked up when suddenly a big headline in the newspaper says that a peanut butter sandwich is the worst thing you can have. I can easily run 10 kilometers on that.

I want to share some statements and thoughts with you that you should stop saying about food. It makes no sense, you can enjoy it less and that's such a shame because believe me: there's really nothing wrong.

“Phew, I ate soooo badly today.”

Yeah, so? Did you enjoy it? Seems more important to me, right? Look, if you ate something really disgusting, I think that's more something to share. And what is bad eating anyway? Do you mean when you opened a bag of chips? Well, go ahead, I would say. It's of course logical that it's not wise to do this every day, but now and then is fine.

how is your whole week then ruined?

“No, I really can't have that.”

Unless you have an allergy, of course, then it's a different story. But if you start making a forbidden food list for yourself, you can assume that you'll break it within a few days. As soon as you forbid yourself something, you want it. Just watch. And then you might feel guilty and that's not fun. So you can really have everything. Try to think like this, it will be a relief for you.

“Okay okay, I’ll start again on Monday.”

And usually, it's only Wednesday or something. Probably very recognizable for many people. But if you think about it, that doesn't make any sense. If you take something that you think is bad for you, how is your whole week then ruined? Why would you have to wait until Monday to start being “healthy”? And in the meantime, “go wild’? That won't make you happy, so stop that intention, but enjoy that glass of wine (just an example) and take it easy the next day. Here, that's how you get rid of that hangover. Then there's nothing wrong.

“Omg, now I've messed it up.”

You never messed it up. Well, unless you've been eating at the three golden arches for three weeks and just lying on the couch. Then don't be surprised if you have zero energy and feel a sting when you walk up the stairs. But then again, it's never too late to eat well and nutritious to feel good again. And you haven't messed it up at all if you take something that contains a lot of calories or sugars. See that as a huge celebration. Run an extra lap in the park the next day if you feel like it.

Do exactly what YOU feel good about and try not to be influenced. That's easier said than done and I know that all too well, but it makes everything a lot more relaxed. Maybe you find oatmeal incredibly disgusting, get a bloated feeling from chia seeds and only end up in the bathroom from flaxseed. No one feels the same. Look, there are a few things I advocate for. For example, I would rather recommend spelt pasta than white spaghetti and better agave syrup than white sugar. But that doesn't mean that if you don't do that, you're immediately a bad person. Anyway, long story that I could talk to you about for hours (feel free to email me).

Look, I'm not a saint. Everything that's written above, I've had to learn a lot too. I eat very consciously and you do me more of a favor with a cheese platter than a cream cake, but I really believe in balance. Do everything you enjoy and forbid yourself nothing. Promise?