I love me some sugar; I’ve got the near prediabetic blood sugar levels to prove it! Now, obviously this is a problem. My health is very important to me (I still plan on living to one hundred and forty). And because I’m genetically inclined towards type two diabetes, I have to be extra careful about my sugar intake.
Alongside these diabetic genetics, I am also a nineteen-year-old girl in America; I have faced the brutal battle with body insecurities. I have experienced the pressure to monitor my eating in the hopes of slimming down to fit into society’s increasingly skinny beauty standard. It’s hard not to feel this way; I go on Pinterest, and I see a slew of skinny white girls. Now, I’ll never be white, but I can always be skinner (or at least this is what the ugly folds of my brain whisper to me). And this thought process stems from the toxic diet culture rooted in our lives and our social medias.
So, how do I make sure that my healthy eating is actually about my health, and not some conformation to diet culture? Well, it’s obviously not easy. But I’ve come up with a few tactics that work to pull me out of any unhealthy mindset around my food consumption, and hopefully they’ll resonate with you, too.
I find that eating mindfully has been the most helpful. Instead of shovelling food into my mouth, I think, hmmm, am I going to feel like a beached whale after eating this? Or will I feel ready to move around, live my life? It’s not about what the food does to my appearance, but instead what it does to my physiological state. Food is energy. It’s the internal workings that matter. If I eat intuitively, based on how I feel, that prevents the way I look from even entering the chat.
Also, kick out food-guilt. It’s got to go. I had a boba and a piece of cake at someone’s birthday? Who cares! Okay, my blood sugar spiked and I feel wonky, but that doesn’t mean I’m a bad person or something is wrong with me. Move on; food is just food, not something to stress about or ruminate over. It goes in, it comes out, rinse and repeat. Not much else to it.
At this time of quarter, when week eight rolls around (how is this happening? I just got here!), my health falls to the wayside as I prioritize classes. So, I prepare healthy alternatives in advance. I’ve got a pyramid of oranges on my desk so I don’t reach for a cookie when I’m hungry. I always have water on me, so I don’t get thirsty and buy a lemonade. Sometimes it’s not easy, but it sure is simple.
There is no clear-cut, complete solution to my problem. Maybe there will always be an echo of diet culture in my mind when I choose to eat healthy (although I sure hope not). But when I make active eating choices for my health instead of my appearance, I feel a million times better. Eating healthy stops being something I feel pressured to do, and starts becoming a metaphorical high five to my body for powering me through another week.