Pushing My Limits for Longevity: Redefining My Relationship with Food
I’m closing in on the two month mark on my Pushing My Limits for Longevity Project and I’m pretty much in a routine now when it comes to eating.
I start my day with drinking lots of water, followed by a skim milk cafe latte. For breakfast, I’ll either have oatmeal with blueberries or a smoothie with fruit, greek yogurt and spinach. Lunch is typically a salad, with some low fat dressing and some type of protein (for example tuna or chicken). In the afternoon, I’ll possibly have a rice cake with peanut butter or a piece of fruit. And dinner is usually some type of protein with a potato or sweet potato, salad or veggies and yogurt and fruit for dessert. If I have a sweet craving, I'll reach for a popsicle or for salt, some popcorn.
To try and avoid food boredom, I am continually looking for new ways to enjoy healthy food. Fortunately, the internet is filled with some great recipes.
For example, this vegetarian chili recipe is so good many people don’t even realize there is no meat in it. And it’s so low in calories you could have two bowls whereas with a meat version you would have to watch your intake (just make sure you skip the sour cream and cheese in the recipe).
Now this may all sound pretty restrictive and for the most part it is but I’m not completely depriving myself. I have had the odd glass of red wine or a slice of pie or a cookie. But it’s definitely not an everyday occurrence.
But as I’m moving through this lifestyle shift, it has forced me to reevaluate my relationship with food and in doing so I have discovered that it really wasn’t very healthy.
I was raised with the “eat everything on your plate” or “you can’t have dessert until you have eaten your dinner” plus my all time favourite “if you’re good we’ll take you out for ice cream”. This, plus the fact that growing up in our house there were so many kids it was survival of the fastest eater at dinner time. Whoever could eat their meal the quickest could get dibs on seconds so if you didn’t eat fast, you would miss out.
Couple this with some other bad food behaviours that I developed on my own. I created a sort of a warped type of reward system.
Get this done and you can then have that donut. Long day at work and the kids are now in bed – have that cookie. Time to celebrate – eat that slice of cake. Really glad I made it through that long week – have that glass of wine (or two).
If I was being truthful, I do miss this.
In some strange way it served as a signal to my brain that something was completed and I could now relax. So I’m now trying some new food reward replacements. Today, if I complete something, I’ll reward myself with watching a movie I’ve been wanting to see or relax by having a nice long bath.
And it’s not that I’ve completely abandoned food rewards, I do still have some it just that I’ve changed them up. For example, I really enjoy my morning skim milk latte. Every morning, I take the time to really savor it rather than guzzle it down without thinking. Also, rather than skip fruits or vegetables that I might not buy because they are out of season or buy those high-priced organic ones, I’ll now buy them and choose a specific time to sit down and really enjoy eating them.
I’ve also since discovered that it’s not just lack of willpower to not eat these unhealthy foods. They are also highly addictive.
Research has discovered that junk food can be as addictive as alcohol and almost as much as cigarettes. It’s because the refined carbohydrates and fats elevate our levels of dopamine to our brain. This releases the feeling of pleasure and our desire to do whatever caused this again.
So it’s a double whammy.
Not only am I combatting my personal relationship with unhealthy foods, but there is also the realization that I am also trying to break a possible addiction as well.
I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been difficult or I haven’t slipped up. But the difference this time is that rather than throwing in the towel, I keep reminding myself this is a new lifestyle I’m learning to embrace and not a time boxed diet that has a specific end date where I can then return to my old habits.
Between my daily workouts and focus on healthy eating, this is probably the longest period that I’ve been able to consistently sustain. I also need to give credit to my health and performance coach Shannon Bond for helping me to stay focused and on track.
I now realize my relationship with food wasn’t created overnight and it’s going to take some both effort and time to change. The good news is that I can feel a new relationship starting to emerge. It’s now a relationship where I recognize that food is what provides the fuel for my longevity.
So, if I respect the food choices I make, I am in fact respecting myself.
Interested in reading more about my longevity journey so far?;
Please note, this information is provided for informational purposes only. You should always consult your healthcare professional regarding your personal situation.
About the Author
Susan Williams is the Founder of Booming Encore - a digital media hub dedicated to providing people with information and inspiration to create and live their very best encore in later life. Susan is also the co-author of the book, Retirement Heaven or Hell: Which Will You Choose? and contributor to Longevity Lifestyle by Design. Susan frequently writes and publicly speaks about retirement, aging and longevity.
