Boundaries With Food Can Bring Freedom

It may seem paradoxical that boundaries can bring about freedom. You would think that it would be a killjoy to be restricted in some way. However, when it comes to eating, having boundaries is the best thing you can do for your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

In the past, I enjoyed eating hamburgers, French fries, pizza, chips, cake, cookies, brownies, and ice-cream. I thought eating anything I wanted and when I wanted was freedom! However, it turned out to be a trap.

Junk Food is Addictive

These types of food turned out to be very addictive and it made me fat. And as a result, I was always dieting. All of the diets that I’ve tried throughout the years never worked in the long run. I was constantly gaining the weight back and then some.

Can you imagine the frustration and exasperation that I felt?  I felt like something was wrong with me. It seemed that others could keep their weight in control, but I was constantly struggling!

Food Cravings are Real

When I discovered why I couldn’t stop eating pizza, donuts, chocolate, and ice-cream, it made sense! I craved these foods. I simply was addicted to flour and sugar. However, that knowledge was half the battle. The rest was surrendering junk food in order to live a healthier, sane life.

I had to accept that I needed boundaries around my food intake. I had to care enough about myself to do life differently.

Can Food Affect My Health?

This realization, along with asking for help is what it took for me to make a change. Many people don’t think about the food that they put into their system until something drastic happens, like illness as a result of their eating habits. Unhealthy eating could lead to diabetes, coronary heart disease or high blood pressure.

It is important to be aware of what you eat and how much you eat. If you gravitate, daily, to certain foods, you may consider looking at the type of food you are eating.

Take the Challenge!

Take a minute and write them down. Make a list of all the foods that you would normally eat in a day. Be honest!

After you’ve written your food list, put a checkmark by those foods that have flour or sugar or both in the ingredients. Most likely, many of the convenience foods will have sugar and flour in them.

Both sugar and flour can be addictive substances. If most of your food list contains them, you may be addicted to them. There is an easy way to find out if you are. See if you can abstain from eating food with flour and sugar in it for at least a month, without struggling or have strong cravings.

You’d probably know within the first day or two if you have a problem with abstaining from sugar and flour.

This means that you must look at the ingredients of the foods you are eating.  Stay away from those foods that are made of mostly flour or sugar. Instead, eat foods that are good for your body like fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, good fats and grains.

If you take this challenge, let me know about your experience. I look forward to hearing from you.

Cynthia