So, in the beginning on this whole30 day reset, I found myself joining groups and following blogs of people who were following the whole30. However, I've kind of shied away from all that now and am doing my own thing and here's the main reason why. I can't seem to find anyone who truly seems to embrace the first rule that their foods must pass...."is it psychologically healthy?"
I finally had to shut it all out after seeing so many comfort foods (which blatantly breaks the rule "no recreating treats", what they refer to as "sex with your pants on"). I saw on a support board just this weekend where a girl actually started by talking about her crazy stressful day and then showed a picture of a giant serving of homemade potato chips of some sort, a big plate of guac and some kind of non-alcoholic mixed drink. Now, don't get me wrong. If she was eating the standard versions of all that before, she will absolutely be healthier at the end of the 30 days. I saw another girl with a pretty high profile blog who posted tons of pics from her last whole30 in which she ate an absurd amount of plantain chips and other processed "comfort" type foods. Again, I'm sure she was healthier at the end (she said she felt better and lost a little weight but was surprised that her health didn't seem to improve very much).
No judgment for these people! Maybe they aren't focused on this rule that I am most focused on because they haven't had the food issues I have in my life. But, for me, if you're using food for emotional comfort....right now you're a potential bad influence on me!
I bought a bag of plantains...and quickly gave them to my son because they caused an unhealthy emotional response. I stopped eating a concoction of spicy guac, salsa, and sunflower seeds on a lettuce leaf because I just wanted more and more of them.
This brings me to the point of my post. I had a women on a support group tell me the other day, in response to me saying that the lettuce leaf concoction made me "a little too happy" (I was half joking, half not) with "food ALWAYS makes me happy."
Now, I understand she was half joking too but it still drove the point home that many people aren't truly taking to heart the importance of using this 30 days to hit the reset button. To intercept those urges to eat based on stress or discomfort and deal with them head on. If you keep conditioning your brain to associate happiness with food, you will continue to reach for these foods almost as though you're not in charge of your body. I know this because I've been on both sides of the fence. Now I'm finally back over on the side where I'm aware of and dealing with crap as it hits me!
So, on the example I wanted to provide of the difference between tasty, enjoyable food and comforting food. Enjoyable food tastes nice. If it falls on a floor you question the cleanliness of, your only reservation about throwing it out should be wasting the money, hard work, resources, etc. A comfort food causes little happy explosions in your mouth in brain. If it falls on the aforementioned floor your only conflict is whether to eat it on your hands and knees or try getting it back to the plate first.
My main comfort foods are pizza, wings, chips, cake and beer. They make me happy (while I'm eating them anyway).
My enjoyable foods are fresh, clean, light foods that taste pretty darn good...but make me happy for the rest of the day....and hopefully my life!
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