Nutrition Made Simple: 4 Pillars of Eating
You only need to spend a few minutes on social media to become entirely anxious and confused about your health and nutrition. Every single “expert” online has a different claim to eating that they tout to be the best and the healthiest. …and VERY strong opinions about why eating in any other way is not. This can make anyone feel uneasy around food whether or not they have an eating disorder. And makes nutrition as a whole a very confusing topic. What to eat, how much to eat, and what your plate “should” look like are questions I get asked multiple times a day!
But here is what I know to be true after over a decade of working as a registered nutritionist in eating disorder recovery:
Every single individual is unique. There is no one best way to eat. And what one person needs to feel their best will be different from the next.
We of course want to make sure that our nutrition is inclusive of a balanced plate (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) and is non - restrictive (all foods fit!). We want to eat enough to meet our energy requirements (which are different for everyone) and allow ourselves to feel full and satisfied. And we want to include variety in our food, so that we not only don’t get bored of our meals but also so that we nourish our bodies with all the wonderful nutrients (vitamins and minerals) it needs to feel its best and support all our functions.
But there is so much more to food beyond function. Food is enjoyable…and fun! Food brings back memories of moments and loved ones, holidays and family time. Certain foods make us happy, others bring us comfort. Foods cool us down, or warm us up. Some foods make us feel better when we are sick, or give us energy to play in our life. Food is the catalyst to moments and experiences…and the provider of life energy to have those experiences. Having a healthy relationship with food encompases all of this, and when we get too stuck in the details of food groups and portions and “should’s” and “should nots” we can lose touch of this.
Our wonderful Recovery Coach and Co-Founder, Rebecca Rechtorik, shared ‘The 4 Pillars of Eating’ (seen below) with me recently, and I think it is a wonderful way to articulate the importance of eating not only for nourishment of your body, but also for enjoyment. These 4 pillars are a wonderful way to help guide you gently to a more intuitive way to make food choices, and away from more rigid measuring and restrictions.
4 Pillars of Eating:
Nourishment:
Choosing food for nourishment is very important. These foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and more that lend themselves to our bodies and minds performing their best. These foods are not “better” or “worse” than other types of food, but rather, they provide different building blocks for overall health and wellness. When we think of nutrition from an additive vs subtractive point of view, we want to make sure we add in foods that nourish our bodies, without needing to remove anything at all. Your nutrition is not mutually exclusive.
Variety:
Variety consists of building awareness in two areas.
First, are all the food groups present, and am I choosing a variety from each group? This is important to ensure we are getting a wide selection of different vitamins, minerals, proteins, and so on, and help to ensure we do not become bored with our food choices. Food is a sensory experience - we see, smell, taste, hear and feel when we eat. The more variation we have, and the more senses that are engaged, the greater the satisfaction of the entire experience of eating is.
In addition, variety means including appropriate amounts of food from both your “good” food list, and “bad” food list. All foods fit. This is important to start breaking the association that food is a moral issue. Food is food. None of it is bad, and you are not bad for eating certain things. Every food item provides some sort of benefit, whether it is energy, pleasure, or nourishment. (read more about fear food normalization here)
Ratio’s:
Being aware of our ratios is a simplified way to think about portion sizes. These are unique to each person, and may change or fluctuate depending on age, activity level, gender or occasion. Portion sizes on labels do not, and cannot, take into account your own individual needs or hunger cues (learn more about hunger cues here). Ratios allow for awareness about our food choices, and help us determine if any one food group is over or under represented.
Pleasure:
We do not eat simply for fuel, or nourishment. Food is also about emotion, social connection, and pleasure. All of these are acceptable, and appropriate reasons for eating. Being deliberate about including foods that bring you pleasure helps us learn that we do not have to choose nourishment or pleasure - the two can peacefully coexist. In fact, when we practice incorporating these two pillars simultaneously, we stop needing to have “cheat days” or experiencing post-vacation regret. We no longer live in extremes with food, where we are either “eating well” or “eating poorly”. Pleasure foods may not necessarily be only foods that have traditionally been labelled as “junk” - it could be giving yourself permission to order the dressing on your salad instead of on the side, or adding butter to your steamed vegetables. All of these add a pleasurable factor to eating.
Appreciation of Food:
Connecting with food is an important aspect of eating that has been lost in modern times. We are all so busy, and strapped for time, that eating is often an afterthought, or worse, considered an inconvenience. We eat on the run, at our desks, or not at all if we are “too busy”. We take for granted the ubiquitous access to all foods, at any time.
All of these practices leave us disconnected from food, or unconsciously taking for granted what it means to be nourished. Finding ways to incorporate soul back into eating also helps us connect with the entire experience of food. This may be growing vegetables, to appreciate the time and miracle of watching food grow, making food from scratch, or thoughtfully choosing when, where and how to eat your meals. Make food the main event when you are eating.
What you eat and your relationship with food are equally important. Approaching food and eating consciously allows you to reconnect with how your choices make you feel (mind and body).
Be aware of your hunger. Eat when moderately hungry, do not wait until you are famished.
Eat regularly. Do not skip meals. (eat every 3 - 4 hours)
Allow yourself to eat all foods (unless there is a medical, religious, or ethical reason not to) (Learn more about how to take an additive approach with your nutrition here).
Eat what you truly want and like, while noticing how your body reacts to those foods.
All calories are equal - a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
For meals, all food groups should be represented (protein, fat, carbs) in a balanced way. Get in the habit of showcasing the pillars of eating at each meal.
Be aware of your fullness and satisfaction.
Occasionally, you will overeat, which is completely normal. (Weddings and Holidays are a good example of this). Reassure yourself that your body can handle the extra food, you do not need to take corrective measures.
(Adapted from the work of Carolyn Costin)
If you are looking for more support with your nutrition and relationship with food, reach out. We offer free calls where we can learn more about what you are experiencing and share how we can best be of support.
