Happy New Year.
I wanted to kick off the first blog of 2024 with a few words about diet culture and the inevitable noise around this topic which seems so popular at this time of year.
Supposedly now is the time to lose weight, to detox, to give up alcohol, to take up juicing and cut out carbs and generally to consume ‘less’. The message seems to be mostly about abstinence and what you should remove from your diet. (And possibly some additional ‘punishment’, if you’re also adding in a new, gruelling exercise regime to sit alongside it).
While there is nothing wrong with these goals in themselves and I applaud anyone wanting to make changes to improve their health, I personally have struggled with the idea of knowing I ‘shouldn’t’ have certain things and this has often led to simply wanting them more.
One report estimated that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.
There is so little joy in this approach, especially after Christmas, where much of the celebration is so closely entwined with the festive food that sits at its heart.
It’s the reason why my approach is about what you can add into your diet and how you can make every bite as nutritious as possible. It isn’t about what you must limit or remove, or what shouldn’t be on your plate.
If the focus is shifted onto what you should be adding in, I find that the less helpful habits are ‘crowded out’. If you’re trying to eat a rainbow of vegetables and add colour to your plate, it’s often the case that you just don’t have room for the foods you’re trying to cut down on.
In the same way that fuelling your body right, with enough protein to keep your hunger and cravings at bay (see my earlier post), will usually curtail any cupboard raiding before dinner.
While January has a reputation for being a bit of a slog, I would invite you to see it as the month where you can give yourself permission to slow down and recharge. It’s a time when you may have less to fit in compared to the Christmas season, so that might mean more time to cook and be at home.
It might mean simply going to bed a bit earlier, reading a book, running a bath or anything else that makes you feel better.
For those who feel they would like to get back on track, January can be the perfect time to do it. But it isn’t the only time. My hope is that any changes you make to your diet aren’t done with a sense of denial or punishment, but with a feeling of self-acceptance and kindness.
My two week ‘Healthy Eating’ online course is launching on Monday 22nd January, and I would love it if you were able to join me. It includes advice, recipes as well as easy and achievable tweaks to create lasting change. I will be available to help throughout via a closed Facebook group for support and to answer any questions. Please get in touch or see my website to find out more.
