Take Down the Food Monster!
What is your food view? How do you view food? How you view food, or your “food horizon” can literally mean the difference between success and failure in your goals. There are four of them.
Food Views:
1. The Food Monster
2. The Food Teddy Bear
3. The Food God
4. The Food Soldier
The Food Monster.
The Food Monster lurks in the dark. He is scary. He is hiding under your bed. You walk
into your room, know he is there, but tiptoe around him at all costs. Why is food scary? It
shouldn't be. Food is not a monster, but you treat it like it is. Do you refuse to go out with
people or do things involving food? Do barbeques, Christmas parties, picnics, or double dates at a restaurant sound scary? If you are avoiding it at all costs because it that sounds highly uncomfortable, your food view is the Food Monster. The best to way to beat the Monster? Learn about him. You're scared of him because you don't know enough about him. When you go through the process to discover what foods work best for you and what doesn't, you've officially slayed him.
The Food Teddy Bear.
The Food Teddy Bear is comfort! You look to him in times of need. Maybe something happened at work and you search for that Teddy Bear in the form of chocolate, ice cream or maybe a bag of chips. You need him to escape and feel safe. He also goes by the name of Emotional Eating. Whether you had a bad experience, a bad day or you're just in a funk, food is your squishy little ball of safety. Food should not be a teddy bear. There are other ways to deal with emotion: Yoga, exercise, clinging to something REAL. NOT stuffing your face with ice cream and carbs.
It's time to grow up and ditch the Teddy Bear.
The Food God.
The Food God puts food on such a pedastal, it is near worship. It's unfortunately incredibly popular right now. How many memes and videos do you see on your social media feeds daily of friends sharing how much they love tacos, wine, pizza, or cake? If you worship the Food God, you don't eat to live,
YOU LIVE TO EAT. I understand that eating good food is pleasurable, and I certainly don't criticize indulging occasionally. But daily indulgence is simply not good for you. Good, healthy, balanced meals is what I look for on a daily basis. If you go on a trip or out to eat, and you salivate simply by glancing
at the menu, your food view is the Food God. Food should be enjoyed, but not worshiped.
Absolutely enjoy food, eat like crap every once in a while, but avoid the Food God.
The Food Soldier.
It is time to recruit your Food Soldier! He works for you. You are in command. When
You say, “Stop!” he stops. The biggest idea is to think about you being the commander of
your soldier. Your Food Soldier, ultimately, is under your direction. He might want to do
his own thing every once in a while, but he will obey your orders. At the end of the day,
you have the final word. Once you have your food soldier under control, it is time to recruit more soldiers.Your goal is to build an army! Not only do you have a soldier, you have multiple who
will live and die for you. Protein soldiers, fat soldiers, and carb soldiers, all working in unison to make you healthy and strong. Step up to the plate, be a commander. Let your soldier know who is in charge. From there, build up your Food Army. Once you have a Food Army, You are UNSTOPPABLE!
Thank you for investing in your health.
Joseph Champa RD, CSCS