Sustainable Health by Susan L. Roberts

Author:Susan L. Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

1. Share food. Sharing food around a campfire has been a human tradition from way before we had agriculture. Children learn what to eat and how to prepare food from watching adults. Many studies show that sharing family meals reduces obesity, improves school grades, and decreases teen pregnancy and drug use (Satter, 2008).

Family meals mean that everyone shares the same foods, unlike restaurants where everybody gets to order just what they want without having to share. When I work with families who struggle with picky eaters, I recommend that in restaurants parents order one or two entrées, a couple of side dishes, and one or two desserts for the whole family to share. This saves money since most restaurant portions can easily feed a family of four. A large part of our national trend toward obesity has come from supersizing our portions. We can even share food in fast food restaurants, rather than ordering each child a more expensive individual serving that often includes a toy.

2. Have faith in our body. We can digest an amazing array of foods because of our gut microbiome. Many diets call for strict adherence to a set of guidelines. This makes it hard to share food with others unless they follow the same diet regimen. Sticking with a program 80% of the time will give us a host of benefits, whereas denying ourselves while watching others eat something we love will likely result in a binge sooner or later (Satter, 2008). As a species we have survived millions of years of feast and famine. Our bodies have amazing resiliency, and the microorganisms we carry with us have even more (Claus, Guillou, & Ellero-Simatos, 2016).

3. Develop a relationship with food. Welcome food into our bodies. Cook at home for a broader sensory experience of the food we prepare. Grow something to eat. Herbs and tomatoes require a small pot of earth, water, and a few hours of daily sunshine. Sprouts require only water and attention. Get to know people who provide us with food. Meet farmers if possible and get to know about the lives of plants and animals we eat. Even when we shop in a big box store, we can learn to recognize people who stock the shelves and take our money. Say hello and thank them for their efforts that feed us and our families. Food has essence, a spiritual quality that transcends the material nutrients it provides. Developing a relationship with food heightens its nourishing value (Lu & Schlapowsky, 2015).

4. Learn to recognize what enough feels like. We can measure out portions, or we can pay attention while we eat. Look at food. Does it have pleasing colors and shapes? What might make it more appetizing? Does the texture of our food feel good on our fingers and in our mouth? How does it smell? How does it taste? If we don’t like it, we don’t have to eat it. When do we start to feel satisfied? Usually, even when we have had enough, if the food tastes really good, we want more.

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