Food Freedom: A Tempting Paradox or your Path to Vibrant Health

00:00 - 00:46 Speaker 1: It absolutely broke my heart today. I spoke to this really lovely man who told me he's 64 years old and who's been dieting since he was 10 years old. He said now that I'm getting older it's really taking its toll on my health and my knees and he said I want to grow old and he kind of stopped and choked a little bit and he said I want to grow old and still be able to move and enjoy my life. He said, I've been on every diet. He said, Larissa, I even tried the carnivore diet recently because all these people on the internet seem to be losing weight.

00:46 - 01:06 Speaker 1: And he said, you know what happened? And I said, what? And he said, I put on weight. So this brings me to this week's topic on the podcast, which is all about food freedom. Is food freedom this tempting paradox or a genuine path to well-being? 01:07 - 01:40 Speaker 1: We're going to pick this concept of food freedom apart and discover if every bite can be a celebration and not a calculation. First up, we're going to address the elephant in the room. Now, I love anti-diet advocates. We need more of them. But I've heard some of them say, food freedom, eat whatever you like and still lose weight.

01:40 - 02:48 Speaker 1: When I hear this my inner skeptic, well she just raises this little eyebrow and scoffs at the utopian promises and potential pitfalls lurking beneath the surface of this too-good-to-be-true mantra. I mean, let's be real here people, didn't Most people living with metabolic conditions such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, heart disease, just eat whatever they liked and called it a day. Now myself being indoctrinated with diet mentality from such a young age, I just knew these 2 ways of living and eating and being. 1, following strict diet rules, so restriction. And the second 1 is indulging or being off a diet, which meant it was just binge fest time So hearing these words eat whatever you like and still lose weight is kind of like there's a big green flashing light Which meant literally eat whatever you like.

02:49 - 03:51 Speaker 1: Anyone for pancakes for breakfast, cheese and crackers for morning tea, grazing platter with friends for lunch, pizza for dinner, and who knows, even ice cream for dessert. Here's the kicker, I always had this knot in my stomach when I heard these words, food freedom, eat whatever you like and still lose weight. It really had me standing on the edge of a tightrope, unsure whether to take this liberating leap for freedom or cling to the familiar safety net of conventional diets. The allure of indulging in whatever I craved without repercussions seemed like this distant as I said utopian dream, and the fear of it leading to chaos and health concerns really echoed in the back of my mind. So let's unravel this concept of food freedom bit by bit and whether it's really a tempting paradox or a genuine path to greater health and well-being.

03:52 - 04:24 Speaker 1: We're going to put the jury out as we explore and define food freedom and how it could apply to our own lives and move us towards living a more nourishing and balanced life. Before we really deep dive in, I'm going to take a small detour. You're going to hang with me here. I'm going to take a look at a definition of financial freedom that I seen off the internet. Then we're gonna take a look at a definition of food freedom that I seen on the internet.

04:24 - 05:06 Speaker 1: And then we're gonna look at a path to financial freedom, all these Fs, and then a path to food freedom. And then we're gonna dissect it all. So financial freedom, it refers to the state of being where an individual has the capacity to make life choices without Being overly stressed out with the financial impact. It involves having enough financial resources, assets and passive income to cover living expenses and pursue personal goals. This ultimately provides a sense of security, flexibility and independence in managing one's financial affairs.

05:07 - 05:44 Speaker 1: Financial freedom doesn't necessarily mean immense wealth, but rather achieving a balance where money is a tool for enhancing the quality of life and pursuing meaningful endeavours. Now that sounds really awesome, I'm definitely nowhere near that myself. So that's financial freedom. Now I found this definition on the internet of food freedom. Food freedom is the empowering state of liberating oneself from restrictive diet rules and cultivating a positive relationship with food.

05:45 - 06:24 Speaker 1: It involves giving unconditional permission to eat a diverse range of foods, making choices based on individual preferences and personal needs. Food freedom is characterized by mindful eating, listening to internal hunger cues, and enjoying a balanced varied diet without guilt or stress. It emphasises the autonomy to make food choices that contribute to both mental and physical wellbeing promoting a sustainable and fulfilling approach to nourishment. Now that sounds pretty awesome too. Now let's look at a basic pathway to financial freedom.

06:24 - 07:07 Speaker 1: It involves strategic planning, disciplined action, budgeting, saving, investing, debt management, multiple streams of income, financial education, emergency preparedness and long-term planning while living below your means. Achieving financial Freedom is a gradual process that requires patience, discipline, and an adaptability to changing circumstances. It's important to know that these concepts need to be tailored to your own unique situation and financial goals. I think that's worth a bit of a repeat. I like this.

07:08 - 07:56 Speaker 1: It's a gradual process that requires patience, discipline and adaptability to your own unique changing circumstances. Sounds pretty easy, right? But what gets in the way of financial freedom? Well, experts in the psychology of money say past experiences with money, lack of mentality, growing up in poverty, stress, emotions, people looking for immediate gratification, looks and status are obstacles in the way of attaining financial freedom. And strangely enough, these obstacles also mirror the ones that we face when we're looking to enjoy food freedom.

07:56 - 08:35 Speaker 1: Now let's look at a basic pathway that I seen mapped out, same thing on the internet, towards creating food freedom. It's a basic concept here. So first and foremost, it was practicing mindful eating. So really learning to pay attention to hunger and fullness cues, eating without distractions, savoring every bite and appreciating the sensory experience of food. It's about learning to let go of diet rules and reconnect with your body's signs and signals, remembering that mindfulness is the first step to lasting behaviour change.

08:36 - 09:13 Speaker 1: The second part of this was ditching restrictive diet rules, really giving yourself unconditional permission to eat and avoid labelling foods as good and bad. The third thing is listening to your body, learning to differentiate between emotional and physical hunger, making food choices based on genuine needs. The fourth 1 is variety and balance. Embrace a balanced and varied diet and avoid extreme restrictions focusing on incorporating nutrients from different food groups.

09:13 - 10:04 Speaker 1: Enjoyment and satisfaction – eating foods that bring you joy and satisfaction, considering both taste and also nutritional value. And allowing yourself to indulge in treats without guilt, emphasising moderation. The next 1 is cultivating body positivity, focusing from external appearance to your overall wellbeing, rejecting food guilt, education and awareness about nutrition and making informed health choices that align with your health goals. This also includes staying aware of how marketing, societal norms and external influences impact our relationship with food. Creating food freedom is a personal journey.

10:04 - 10:28 Speaker 1: It's about finding a sustainable and enjoyable way to nourish your body while fostering a healthy mindset around eating. So Let's define food freedom. I like this 1. Sustainable and enjoyable way to nourish your body while fostering a positive mindset around eating. Oh, there we go.

10:28 - 10:57 Speaker 1: That's a bit of a breath of fresh air. It's very different from some of the food freedom gurus, just eat whatever you want and still lose weight. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I'm going to repeat the definition that feels a little bit better and doesn't create a knot in my stomach. Food freedom is finding a sustainable and enjoyable way to nourish our bodies while fostering a positive mindset around eating.

10:57 - 11:31 Speaker 1: Now what gets in the way of food freedom? Of course, it's the same things that get in the way of financial freedom. Our past experiences with our bodies and diet restricted restrictions, so lack of mentality, stress, immediate gratifying behavior, looks and status. So, all of the same things that get in the way of financial freedom. So we're looking at human behaviour here, not just in relation to food, but in every area of life.

11:32 - 12:13 Speaker 1: So going back to my only 2 ways that I knew of eating, which was 1, restrictive diets or 2, binging and overeating. Now food freedom for me really lies in the junction between these 2 modes, in the middle. And this brings me to how ancient traditions explain this junction and what it is, and how it can bring us a sense of fulfillment in life. In Buddhism, this concept of avoiding extremes and finding the middle path is encapsulated in the Middle Way or literally called the Middle Path. This principle was actually taught by Buddha himself.

12:14 - 12:55 Speaker 1: The Middle Way encourages people to avoid extremes, especially of self-indulgence and self-mortification, instead advocating for a balanced approach to life, finding the middle ground. The goal to achieve liberation from suffering is really by following this path of moderation, mindfulness and ethical conduct. And it said that ignorance creates suffering. To attain liberation we need to avoid the pitfalls of extremities. So this is really to me, this is explaining, this encapsulates food freedom itself.

12:56 - 13:23 Speaker 1: Now this is, I'm gonna give you 2 more examples. 1 is from the yogic philosophy and 1 from the ancient Chinese philosophy and then take which 1 resonates with you. In the yogic tradition, this concept of balance is associated with the principles of Sattva. Sattva is 1 of the 3 Gunas. Gunas are just qualities or attributes described in yogic philosophy.

13:24 - 13:47 Speaker 1: The other 2 are Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is kind of that neutral ground. It represents the sense of purity or harmony and balance. And it's often associated with clarity, goodness and tranquility. Practicing sattva involves really cultivating this balanced state, avoiding extremes.

13:47 - 14:22 Speaker 1: So exactly the same as Buddhism. So let's look at a Rāsās. Rāsās is this over energy. Rāsās is characterized by activity, passion, restlessness, and while some degree of activity is necessary, excessive registic qualities can lead to imbalance, stress, over-exertion and burnout. In this tradition, we suggest moderating registic tendencies to maintain a sense of inner balance and calmness.

14:23 - 15:03 Speaker 1: Now let's look at its polar opposite, which is Tamas, which is this under energy. Tamas is associated with inertia, lethargy and darkness. Over-emphasis on tamas can lead to stagnation, dullness and a lack of motivation. Of course, the yogic path encourages practitioners to overcome tamas by cultivating positive energy and avoiding excessive inertia. This yogic approach really emphasises the importance of maintaining this state of sattva or moving in and out or towards Sattva, which is that middle road again.

15:03 - 15:31 Speaker 1: In yoga, this is achieved through yogic posture, so asana, breath control, pranayama, meditation, and ethical living. Now last but not least, we're looking at the Chinese medicine principle. We've all heard this, it's yin and yang. So Yin and Yang are these opposite forces that really complement each other. They represent this dualistic nature of life itself and being and existence.

15:32 - 16:00 Speaker 1: They say understanding these principles are crucial for maintaining health and harmony. So let's look at Yin first. Yin is associated with qualities such as receptivity, passivity, darkness and stillness. An excess of Yin can lead to stagnation, coldness or an overly passive state, disrupting the balance. Yin is also associated to feminine aspects or qualities.

16:01 - 16:39 Speaker 1: Yang is this over-energy, associated with qualities like warmth and brightness. But excessive yang may result in hyperactivity, too much heat, or even aggressive states leading to imbalance. In the middle, we have wholeness, neutrality, which is referred to as harmony. The ideal state in Chinese medicine is really achieving this balance between yin and yang. This balance is actually dynamic, so it's moving and varies based on the individual, the season and many other factors.

16:40 - 17:35 Speaker 1: Maintaining harmony involves adopting to changing circumstances and adjusting lifestyle, diet and practices accordingly. Now this reminds me of the definition that was given in the Financial Freedom, it's about adapting to a changing environment. So in Chinese medicine and look we even use it in kinesiology, I'm a kinesiologist, the goal is to support and maintain health through understanding of this under and over balance, this yin and yang, and finding and maintaining that neutral ground. Now I know probably 3 examples might be overkill, but sometimes we need to hear things in a different way and repetition is the mother of All learning and all skill. We've had the answer to food freedom all along.

17:35 - 18:02 Speaker 1: It's really about encompassing these ancient ways of living. Learning to listen to nature, so listen to your body and practice mindful eating. Strive for a balance between eating for nourishment and eating for pleasure. Making mindful choices based on genuine hunger and satisfaction. By incorporating these principles of yin and yang into our food freedom journey.

18:02 - 18:32 Speaker 1: It really emphasizes the importance of finding a dynamic and adaptable balance that suits our individual needs. This will promote both physical, mental and emotional well-being. Now just remember I said it before it's a dynamic and adaptable balance. And this looks very different for every single individual. So there's no 1 prescription for food freedom.

18:32 - 19:36 Speaker 1: Let me give you a few examples and see which 1 you can relate to the most. For someone living with obesity, finding food freedom could be incorporating more natural foods into their diet and slowly decreasing processed food while striking the balance between the perception of restriction and overconsumption. Food freedom for someone experiencing anorexia could be increasing food consumption and totally being okay with eating some processed food. Food freedom for someone stuck in a chronic dieting cycle could be learning to tune into the body's hunger cues and really discovering which foods bring a sense of vitality and introducing previous off-limit foods in very small quantities, maybe regularly. For some people, it could even be small quantities on a daily basis to stop that overcompensation that happens when we binge out or go off the diet.

19:37 - 20:10 Speaker 1: Food freedom for an individual living with celiacs could be physically, mentally and emotionally totally come under terms with being ok with not eating gluten or wheat and celebrating what can be consumed without physical distress. So somewhere between addiction and extreme restriction is this beautiful balance point called food freedom. That is definitely worth a repeat. Somewhere between addiction and extreme restriction is this beautiful balance point called food freedom. That is definitely worth a repeat.

20:10 - 21:13 Speaker 1: Somewhere between addiction and extreme restriction is this beautiful balance point called food freedom. And the thing is food freedom so much isn't about food itself, but about our own approaches to ourselves, our behaviors and our mindset around food, really unpacking and exploring our relationship with food, whether it's our past or our present relationship, and maybe moving from yin towards yang, or moving from yang towards yin. It's different for everyone, it's dynamic and changing. It's really about understanding our own unique circumstances surrounding food and unravelling that complex nature of our own individual eating patterns. It's also this ongoing education, building a knowledge base around yourself, your eating triggers, your behaviours and possibly even keeping up to date with the latest research in what's going on with health and vitality.

21:14 - 22:30 Speaker 1: Now something that I've been teaching for years is that not all foods are created equal and not all calories are created equal. Which if you've listened to the very first podcast on this show, it was all about calories and how they're not created equal. And I think it's really important to mention that our food landscape has changed dramatically over the last 40 years with this introduction of highly palatable and processed foods. Now, many of the ingredients in these edible items have been proven to be addictive and can really interfere with our hunger and satiety hormones and can alter our brain chemistry which of course alters everything else this whole cascade happens so it can alter our hormones and the our body gets out of balance We move away from the harmony in our body and in our system, that sense of homeostasis that our bodies need to thrive. Now many of these foods drive hunger And I feel it's really important to continually add this in here because it's said a lot in intuitive eating and mindful eating, you know, just eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full.

22:30 - 23:16 Speaker 1: Now I agree that we need to tune in to our bodies, but we also need to understand that this changing food landscape has changed the way our bodies react to certain foods. Because some people actually feel hungry nearly almost all of the time, or even quite quickly after eating a meal because of these highly processed foods. Now some People also experience the opposite. They're always so busy or in this low-level state of stress that they never feel hungry and they forget to eat. So it's important to continually look at these 2 extremes that can happen in our lives.

23:16 - 23:53 Speaker 1: Now I had a client last year who received a cancer diagnosis and she worked with me because she really wanted to support herself during her treatment and in recovery. We talked about all different things like stress being a huge factor, really balancing the nervous system, getting out of fight or flight, getting out of like this tonic state and finding this balance. Anyways, food come up a lot because there's many different ways we need to support our bodies in times of illness. And she said, you know what Larissa? She said, I really used to think that I ate healthy.

 

24:36 Speaker 1: And now that we've spoken in depth about it, she goes, I realize I haven't really been eating that healthy after all. Now I assure her she's not alone and a lot of it has to do with marketing. You know, we think that this certain cereal is healthy by the way it's been marketed, or this eat this bread because this is so much better for you because it's got fortified iron in it and added fiber. So the thing is statistics say most people eat up to 60 to 80% of processed or ultra processed foods daily. All right, so let's get back to food freedom.

24:36 - 25:22 Speaker 1: It's super important to understand when we're trying to tune into our own hunger cues, like why do I feel hungry all the time? Or why don't I ever feel hungry? So these products can interfere with our natural hunger and satiety hormones and cues. Another way I like to see food freedom for myself is really learning to create healthy boundaries with myself and boundaries that I can feel safe in. Now, when we look at relationships, relationships thrive and the people in relationships thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally when we have healthy boundaries and we feel safe in those boundaries.

25:23 - 25:53 Speaker 1: A similar thing happens with children. Children thrive when they have healthy boundaries. They don't thrive when they have no boundaries or the boundaries are too tight. We can look at food freedom as this dynamic and adaptable way of life, but it's about creating healthy boundaries that we feel safe in. So it doesn't mean not having any personal or ethical guidelines about food.

25:54 - 26:29 Speaker 1: Now this is where some definitions of food freedom could really be misinterpreted or misrepresented. It's about letting go of diet rules. I agree with that, but it doesn't mean not having ethical boundaries around food. We also need to remember that finding our own sense of food freedom can really show up very differently from 1 person to the other, depending on their past relationship with food and their health. It's a very individual, there's no antidote to food freedom.

26:29 - 27:35 Speaker 1: It's about really just finding that space and place and unravelling your food behaviours. So, let's take a little time for reflection, maybe take a gentle breath. And we remember that mindfulness is simply being in awareness without judgment. You might take a moment and just cast your awareness over your own patterns with food or your own behaviour patterns. You might spend a little bit of time now or after this episode's finished just reflecting on and uncovering some of your own rules or beliefs around food, whether it's restriction or overconsumption, really looking at these imbalances, these imbalances that no longer serve us.

27:38 - 28:35 Speaker 1: And we really wanna remember when we look at this that food freedom isn't this green light to binge eat and feast on food with no nutritional value. It isn't about being haphazard or sitting in the seat of ignorance. Remember, in these philosophies, ignorance creates suffering. It's really about navigating these polarities of control vs freedom, restriction vs variety, guilt vs pleasure, and the clash between external rules, the rules of others, and your body's own internal wisdom. Food freedom isn't just about what's on your plate, it's about liberating how you think and feel about food, and also your relationship with food.

28:36 - 29:30 Speaker 1: And at its core, food freedom fosters a positive relationship with food enabling you to eat without stress, anxiety, guilt while making choices based on taste, satisfaction, but also your overall health. So take a moment to really soak up this wisdom and these words of how we can move towards food freedom and what food freedom could offer you in your life. So you might even like to close your eyes if you're not driving and reconnect to your breath and your body. Noticing right now if you feel hungry, neutral, satisfied, awful.

29:35 - 30:22 Speaker 1: Acknowledging your beautiful body, the gift of life living through you. And what would it feel like in your own body to open up to the possibilities of food freedom? And the wholeness of complete love and acceptance of yourself and your body. And ponder what would you need to let go of? Physically, mentally, or emotionally to experience this sense of food freedom or food harmony, whatever you would like to call it?

30:28 - 31:15 Speaker 1: What would you really need to invite into your life and at what level? Physically, mentally, emotionally. What do you need to create space for? And really take as long as you need to allow the guidance or the answers to surface. And even when we finish listening to the podcast, which is very soon, we can always take out our journal and connect with ourselves and our intuition, asking for greater understanding of the answers to these questions.

31:16 - 32:05 Speaker 1: And then noting what small intentional steps, small, 1 little intentional step could you take to enhance your relationship with food, yourself and your own health and well-being. Stay there if you like or when you feel ready, gently opening the eyes. Today, we've really pondered this concept of food freedom, possibly what it is and also what it's not. I think that's probably for me that was the greatest takeaway of what food freedom is not. If you found this discussion valuable, feel free to share it with someone you feel or think may benefit from it.

32:05 - 32:43 Speaker 1: Feel free to connect with our community online, whether it's through Facebook or Instagram, and share your thoughts and support each other. Remember that you can also find the link to today's show notes in description. And if you're someone who likes to read through things, I will always include the transcript so you can go back and read it. It also includes the timestamp. So, if you want to go back to those pondering questions and write them in your journal, then just look up the time and fast forward and rewind the podcast to where it needs to be.

32:43 - 33:32 Speaker 1: And finally, please consider subscribing to the podcast, leave a review and stay tuned for more episodes. If you feel this gentle pull to really discover your own behaviours and how you can move towards that sense of balance or harmony in your life, feel free to check out our online program Mindful Eating, Mindset and Metabolism Mastery. I'll also pop the link in the description below as well. Remember that your commitment to your well-being is a powerful force and I'm here to help you every step of the way. So until next time, take a nourishing breath, savour the journey and embrace the opportunity to live with everyday inspiration.

33:33 - 33:40 Speaker 1: From my heart to yours, thanks for listening and I look forward to sharing again with you next week. Bye for now.

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