A few years ago, nutritionist Mia Rigden shared her expertise on food freedom. I’ll admit I was skeptical while reading. It’s not about what she’s sharing, it’s about whether I can release my own obsessive food guilt. How can you truly feel free in a world of conflicting food rules, social pressures, and a constant tug-of-war between what you want to eat and what you think you should eat?But when you read Mia’s words, , something clicked. Food freedom didn’t mean eating whatever I wanted without thinking, it meant completely rethinking my relationship with food.
Mia defines food freedom as feeling confident and empowered in your food choices, loving what you eat, and letting go of guilt and stress around eating. It’s about feeling vibrant, full of energy, and in tune with your body, creating healthy habits that fit into your life and bring you joy. As someone who has struggled with negative thought patterns around food for many years, this perspective resonated with me.
How to completely free yourself from food guilt
For a long time, I thought I was stuck in a cycle of shame and bondage. But Mia’s words showed me a new path forward. By building habits that I truly enjoy and understanding what nourishes my body, I’ve learned to trust myself when it comes to food. That shift from control to empowerment felt life-changing. Inspired, we dug deeper by speaking with registered dietitian and mindful eating expert Lisa Heim. Lisa shares tips on simple, actionable ways we can all define our relationship with food and ultimately break free.
That shift from control to empowerment felt life-changing.
Lisa Heim
Lisa Heim is a registered dietitian and yoga instructor with a master’s degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University. She is excited about combining medicinal exercise with mindfulness and nutrition as a way to restore the mind-body connection.
What is food freedom?
Food freedom is the ability to be flexible in your food choices and use your values to decide what’s really important to you. When we achieve food freedom, we feel tremendous power. For those who have finally let go of “control” like dieting and counting calories/macros, it’s amazing to learn that the true power and control you’ve been looking for can come from giving up control.
It may sound backwards and unbelievable, but when we remove the pressure we put on the outside of our bodies and begin to trust the internal processes at work, no food is “bad”; It is recognized that there is nothing wrong with eating foods that are not. As long as we are present with the process and aware of our own internal reactions, “nutritionally perfect” has no power to derail us or truly impact our bodies.
How to change the way you think about food
Start becoming aware of your thoughts about food. Many of us have ingrained fears of food and specific ideas about what, when, and how much we should eat. When we begin to break them down and challenge them (one at a time!), we can begin to build our inner wisdom. This is a modern-day mindful eating term used to describe the knowledge you begin to gather about your unique body.
Tips to release food guilt during the holidays
Here are some tips on what you can do to avoid feeling too full or wasting your energy thinking too much about food and to be more present to your loved ones.
find a safe place
As soon as you arrive at the venue, find a comfortable place to stay. My house is quiet so I usually go to the bathroom. I usually go there first and catch my breath and check in with myself. You may or may not need to retreat there during the meal. Many people can check in themselves without leaving their table. I think holidays are even more difficult. The laughter gets louder and the rain starts to pour harder. In some cases, it may be due to family causes, all of which can confuse you. Therefore, I need a place to check in with myself, perhaps give myself some encouragement, and assess where I am.
prepare
Please do not attend an event without having eaten within the past 3 hours. This doesn’t mean you have to eat completely before meals and feel awkward throughout your stay. At parties, we lose control and don’t decide what to serve, when to serve it, or how to serve it. All we can do is prepare as best we can. Don’t lose your cool with a sweet and spicy brie and jelly sandwich. Stay calm, don’t starve, and keep asking yourself what and how much you want. And above all, have fun. After all, you’re here to have fun.
decide what you like
Choosing what to eat at a buffet or a large dinner party can be difficult. Instead, commit to what you really want to do and stay focused on it. Do you like sweet potatoes? wonderful! Please get your hands on it and look forward to eating it. Try not to reach for anything that makes you think, “Huh?” Look around and decide what you really like, what’s calling your name, and skip what doesn’t excite you. Pro tip: Don’t make these decisions before you arrive. Trust your body and intuition.
don’t forget to enjoy
Do you feel like you need to check out but can’t match your hunger or desires? That’s where “outer wisdom” comes in. No one wants to feel so full that their stomach hurts when they haven’t even enjoyed the meal. After all, eating, having fun, and being merry is what the holidays are all about.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Camille Styles. The content provided by our authors is the author’s opinion and is not intended to defame any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.
