Humans and food - especially in our Western, diet-obsessed culture - can have a complicated relationship.
On the one hand, food is one of life's delights. It can bring comfort, connection and literally keeps us alive.
On the other hand, there is a fire-hose level onslaught of information about what foods we SHOULD or SHOULDN'T eat .... what foods are GOOD or BAD .... and on and on.
It can be a tricky business to tiptoe into a potential revamp of what you eat on a daily basis. There might be any number or reasons you seek to make some changes, and quite often, those changes are tied to elimination of some foods. Said potential elimination of foods can lead to feelings of uncertainty, at best, and at worst, legit feelings of fear and distress. (DON'T TAKE AWAY MY COFFEE!)
In one of my training modules, several tips for cultivating a nourishing relationship with food were presented - one of those is the concept of "crowding out". Crowding out can be a helpful antidote for all the stressful feelings that stem from eliminating foods.
What is crowding out??
Crowding out is when you add more whole foods to your diet instead of trying to eliminate the foods you eat on the regular. This is more sustainable long-term and focuses on possibilities. Crowding out can reduce cravings for other foods. When you view wellness as a journey, you can embrace the idea that there is no big rush to overhaul your diet.
Remember ....... there isn't a magical finish line.
One thing that has been REALLY hard for me to give up that is largely thought to be unhealthy is diet pop/soda. Don't hate on me .... we all have our stuff, right? The idea of completely giving it up is a hard ask for me. I know I can do it, but I don't feel ready today. Prolly not tomorrow either. ;-) However, I can start to apply the concept of "crowding out" to this situation by making sure I am intentionally drinking more water each day. I've tried this for a few days and have found that it reduces how much diet pop/soda I drink.
Who knows .... maybe I will eventually give it up for good. In the meantime, move over Diet Pepsi .... I'm making room for more water in my life.
Have you ever tried crowding out? If so, share in the comments section. If not, would you consider it? Where would you start? I'd love to have a long stream of comments to help inspire one another.
Since childhood, Carbs & I have had a mutual love... I consume them, & they never (entirely) leave me. I realize how that may sound (sad, pathetic, absurd, etc.), but it doesn't help for me to think that way. In the long run, it just makes it worse.
So, I like this idea of 'crowding out.' Rather than being an in-your-face, you-can't-have-that modality, it is a more reasonable approach to a lifestyle adaptation. (No shame allowed.)
I like this idea. I like reversing the mentality to adding rather than subtracting as the goal. I'm going to try this way of thinking. My goal is to add more water and fresh veggies to my diet. As a single, I tend to not cook at home every night, but eating out doesn't always give the option of whole foods. I'm going to cook more at home so I can make sure I'm eating the whole foods.
Love this idea! Funny how we feel a need to cling to certain things. I can live gluten free because if I am exposed I feel like I want to die it's so painful. I also find giving up other things is nearly the worst- carbs! I am and always have been a bread/cracker/fries girl. Losing much of that has seemed to make me double down on the stuff I can have. I am going to try to crowd it out!