Food Is not a Reward for Good Behaviour

Food is fuel, not a reward – but sometimes, it can be difficult to think that way.

If you are like me, you have had times where you think to yourself:

            “Just one more chapter to study and you can have a snack”

Or        “Okay, I’ll go for a run and then can treat myself with pizza later”

Or        “Alright, if i can do these three things, I can eat that last slice of cake”

And then when you do indulge in (usually unhealthy) “treats”, you resent yourself. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Food should not be treated as a reward for good behaviour. Food is fuel. Your body needs the best fuel available in order to thrive.

Stop treating food as a treat!

Stop using food as a reward or incentive to do things you have to do anyway! Dogs, get food as a reward, you are not a dog so don’t treat yourself like one! (sometimes a bit of tough love goes a long way!) Its time to change and upgrade your relationship with food! 

Nobody would want to be in a relationship with someone who is controlling your every move, controlling the way you think about the tasks of the day, or controlling the way you think about yourself after you interact with them: any sane person would say that is a toxic relationship and to break things off. It is no different with food. Every person has a very real and very tangible relationship with food so if it is toxic, its time for a change.

First things first, when you start reaching for food, ask yourself: 

“Am I actually hungry?

“Why am I reaching for this food?”

“Is this going to benefit my health?”

Think about food as fuel 

Food is fuel. I have talked all about the fuel your cells need! Everything you eat and drink goes into your gut to be processed by your body for use; protein to build muscle, carbohydrates for quick energy and to fuel certain processes in the body, and fats to protect vital organs and provide energy. 

Vitamins and other minerals also are processed to help  your body functions to continue, boost your immune system, helps nourish your skin, impacts your mood, and maintains overall balance in the body. You should be thinking, “this food will make me feel so much stronger on my gym session” or “wow this will help nourish my skin”

YOU get to make the decision on what to eat. 

YOU get to choose how you feel, not anybody else. And all it takes is discipline and a desire to feel healthy!  

YOU make the decision of what fuel you give your body!

Let eating healthy be exciting!

You should be excited about food and be excited about eating. Without food, you would literally be withering away. Food sustains us! Food nourishes us! And food gives us the energy to enjoy all the beautiful chaotic everyday moments of life: What an amazing blessing! 

Each day, focus on balancing your plate at each and every meal with protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fibre. But, you also need to balance your day with water to keep yourself and every part of your body hydrated: hydration actually helps your body process foods more effectively and efficiently but it also helps balance hormones, keeping you in a better moods, and feeling ready to tackle the day. 

Think about food as fuel like this:

If you have a car and you put the cheapest, lowest quality fuel to run the car, the car likely will run, but it won’t be efficient and could end up with other functional issues down the road because of build up and residue from the poor quality gas (or garbage). But, when you make sure there is sufficient fuel in the fuel tank with the higher quality fuel, you can FEEL a change in how efficient your car is running, its cheaper to maintain, and is less of a headache to worry about. 

Our bodies are similar in some ways: 

If we eat junk food and take out meals, we are loading our bodies with grease, unhealthy fats, and foods lacking in nutrients, we will still function but it will be in survival mode. 

If you let your “metaphorical” fuel tank get too low and nearly empty, we will feel weak, emotional, and have a really hard time getting through even the most basic tasks. 

But, if we eat nutrient rich, healthy, natural foods, we put our body on a track to thrive through each and every day with energy, a metabolic boost, and have that layer of grime and grease from fast food, melt away. We feel lighter, happier, and healthier. We feel fuelled and ready to go!

Remember, health and wellness is 70% lifestyle and only 30% genetics. That means you and your eating habits, mindset, and actions have a major impact on your overall health and wellness.

What healthy eating habits do you have? Share in the comments below. If you need help, let me know by filling out this wellness survey! I want you to thrive through life – the best step towards a healthy lifestyle starts with what for we eat!