The Easter Bunny will soon be springing into our homes with lots of delicious Easter foods to enjoy, but many of us struggle to enjoy these foods without feeling guilty or anxious.
Do you dream of being able to enjoy your Easter foods without feeling that you can’t be trusted around them?
Do you feel that you only have two options; eat the whole egg in one sitting or lock yourself away to avoid eating any chocolate over the Easter period; because once you start you can’t stop?
Do you see Easter foods as something bad or naughty? If so, does this make you feel bad for eating them?
Then read on for my guilt-busting tips!
Why do I feel guilty about eating certain foods?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this as the reasons we feel guilt around certain foods can be varied. Most often we find that the teachings of some diets will instil unhelpful beliefs surrounding these foods; referring to them as being bad or a ‘sin’. These are beliefs that have been created and widely used by society.
In order to feel guilt, you must believe that you’ve done something wrong. If you have told yourself that you are not allowed a certain food such as chocolate, then when you eat it, you will feel guilty (even though it is not actually wrong to eat it!).
Often people may feel out of control and like they can’t stop eating these foods, this makes them feel like a failure and guilty. They feel as though they should be able to stop – but often the reasons they can’t stop are more complex and has little to do with not having enough self-control or willpower but more to do with having unmet emotional needs.
Learn a new language
The language of diet culture is so engrained in our society that is has become normal to say things like ‘I am cheating, having a naughty day, naughty treat’ etc. Most of the time we don’t even really notice that we are using this language or think about how this may impact the way we relate to those foods. Becoming aware of these thoughts can be the first step to overcoming the guilt you feel when eating the foods you enjoy.
As I said above; you can only feel guilty if you have done something wrong. If we give certain foods like chocolate a moral label, then it can feel like we have done something wrong by eating them.
If chocolate is bad, then you are bad for eating it.
What if we just call it chocolate? Just like we call broccoli, broccoli – remove the morality and then this neutralises foods. It may sound pedantic, but this simple shift can make a real difference to how we see that food item.
Forbidden fruits
“Adam did not want the apple for the apple’s sake; he wanted it because it was forbidden.”
Mark Twain
Can you relate to this quote?
Often, we fall into the trap of telling ourselves we are not allowed certain foods (mostly the ones we call bad) and the more we deny ourselves these foods, the stronger our desire to eat them becomes. Because we are not allowed it, we want it more.
If you go into the Easter celebrations telling yourself that you are forbidden from indulging in certain foods, the more tempted you will be to eat them; especially if your friends and family are happily eating those same foods around you.
At some point you will likely ‘give in’ to this urge and eat some chocolate, unable to resist its seduction any longer, telling yourself, “I will just eat this and then I won’t have it again”.
But the problem with this is – if you don’t think you will be allowed the chocolate again any time soon, you might feel like you need to eat as much of it as possible now. You eat it quickly and in a larger amount than you probably need or want, but this opportunity feels like a rarity, and you must make the most of it.
The result; regret and guilt. You conclude that you can’t be trusted around these foods and must remove them for your house immediately (starting the forbidden fruit cycle all over again).
Is it true that you can’t be trusted? Are you actually out of control?
What if you were allowed to eat the chocolate, and you knew you could have some and go back for more later? Would you feel the same pressure to overindulge, or would you feel safe that this chocolate will be there later if you fancy some? Would it feel so desirable if it was just another food that is always there and always accessible?
Many of my clients avoid having chocolate in the house, but once they take it off a pedestal, remove the morality and eat it on a more regular basis, it normalises it and removes its ‘power’ over them.
I can’t say no!
This is a common belief that people hold. ‘I can’t say no’.
If you believe you can’t say no, then you feel there is no choice, you must eat the food in front of you and resisting it would be pointless. This mindset often leads to food-guilt because you didn’t actually want to eat, you just ate because you felt you had to.
Reasons people believe they can’t say no:
- A self-limiting belief inside them that has built up from a lack of trust in themselves around food
- They don’t want to be rude
- They eat to fit in with everyone else
- Because someone gave them it
- Habits that have developed over time
It can be complicated to overcome the complex reasons for having these beliefs, or to understand why you have developed these habits. It can take time and support to work through these issues, but the first step is to recognise that you ALWAYS have a choice. This means if you do not want to eat the food, you absolutely can say no. You can take ownership of your food choices so that when you eat it, is because you made an informed and conscious decision to do so, and it’s not just because you felt obligated to do so.
Eat regular meals
There are several reasons why people skip meals at times of celebration like Easter. Often people ‘save’ calories for later or restrict themselves after they have eaten the foods they consider as ‘bad’.
This is problematic on a number of levels from a food relationship point of view, but on a practical point of view, it is good to be aware that when you are hungry it is much harder to make logical decisions that aren’t based on emotion. Regular eating ‘feeds’ the brain so you can access your prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is responsible for executive functions such as planning, problem-solving, impulse control, and decision-making. Glucose is the primary energy source for brain function, and the PFC is particularly sensitive to changes in glucose levels.
Research has shown that hunger can impair cognitive functions associated with the PFC, such as decision-making, impulse control, and attention. When glucose levels are low, the PFC may have difficulty exerting control over impulsive behaviours and may prioritize immediate rewards over long-term goals.
This can lead to a decreased ability to make rational decisions and an increased susceptibility to temptation, including food-related choices. Thus, regular eating can be considered as a self-regulation tool.
If you are someone who often eats emotionally i.e. when you feel sad, lonely, bored, stressed etc., then it may be that you are more vulnerable to overeating foods like chocolate if you are hungry, therefore the approach of skipping meals may backfire, as it will likely lead to food guilt and possibly eating more than if you had eaten your meal in the first place.
Mindful Moments
Have you ever had zero realisation of how much chocolate you have eaten until you see the empty wrapper?
This is because we often eat foods without paying attention. Perhaps we are focussing our attention on the TV, our mobile phone, talking with friends etc, but we are not being mindful of the food that we are eating, which can lead to us eating more than we wanted to and feeling over full afterwards. This can again cause feelings of guilt; you don’t feel good – maybe you feel sick and so it feels like you have done something wrong, and this can cause you to blame and shame yourself for it.
Eating mindfully has been shown to help with food guilt. Mindful eating is all about paying full attention to the sensory experiences associated with eating and such practices have been shown to improve self regulation skills related to food intake. This includes portion control, food choices and increased awareness of fullness and satisfaction. By making more intentional food choices and listening to your body when it has had enough, this can lead to more positive and enjoyable food experiences as well as reduced food guilt.
Mindful eating is a skill that takes time to master, but starting with a simple exercise can be a great way to dip your toes into it. With Easter coming up, here’s a fun little exercise you can try:
Take a piece of your Easter egg and consciously take a few deep breaths before you take a bite. Try to use all your senses and fully focus on the egg.
Firstly, hold it in your hand and see what it looks like, its texture, colour etc.
Then smell the chocolate, place the chocolate on your tongue but don’t swallow, just experience how these feels – what can you taste?
How does it feel in your mouth?
Finally, you can chew or slowly suck your chocolate to really savour how the tastes and textures change.
Notice how different it felt to eat the chocolate in this way and see if you eat the next few bites like this; whether you have the desire to keep eating all of the egg or whether you can notice when you are satisfied. I hope this makes eating your Easter egg a more enjoyable and satisfying experience without fear or guilt!
In Summary
So, in conclusion, the reasons we overeat, restrict, or label certain foods or emotionally eat can be complex and often requires professional support to work through fully.
It is not your fault if you struggle with these areas; We are socially persuaded to think and feel this way by western diet culture, and you are certainly not alone with those struggles! However, I hope this blog gives you a few areas to consider and to support you through the Easter period.
If this is a challenge for you and you need further support with anything discussed today, then reach out to the Kate Wall Nutrition clinic, I’d be happy to help!
DISCLAIMER: This information does not constitute individual advice and advice may differ for certain health conditions and individual situations.
Photo by Jasmine Waheed on Unsplash
