As parents, we work incredibly hard to make the life of our kids better than our own. So when it comes to their health, we do everything we can to make sure they don’t struggle the same way we do. But the problem often lies in our efforts. We tell them, “don’t eat too much cake, it’s bad for you” or “you don’t need all that Halloween candy, it will rot your teeth and give you a tummy ache!”. We believe that passing on our own food rules will help our children develop a better relationship with food and their bodies. But it won’t. Talking about food rules starts the mental chatter for kids, and those same food rules we hold so dear are even holding us back. This week, I encourage you to eat cake for breakfast, and let our kids do it too.
Think all foods we label as ‘bad’ are the enemy? Think again. A study produced in 2012 reveals the positive impact of indulging in our cravings, and not restricting ourselves. The study focused on 163 adults who were officially categorized as obese. Split into 2 groups, the first group was assigned to eat a large 600-calorie breakfast that included some kind of dessert item (like cookies, cakes or doughnuts). The second group was assigned to eat a small 300-calorie breakfast. Both groups consumed the same number of calories per day (1,600 for men and 1,400 for women). The group who ate the larger breakfast, then ate a smaller dinner. Over the 16-week period, both groups lost around the same amount of weight.
Following the completion of the study, participants were advised to follow the same pattern, but they could eat more if they had hunger cravings. After another 16-weeks, the “small breakfast” group gained 24 pounds, while the “big breakfast” group lost 15 pounds on average. They found that those who ate the big breakfast had lower levels of ‘ghrelin’ (the hunger hormone) and fewer cravings than those who ate the small breakfast without dessert1. The reasoning is simple:
“When we diet, we’re hungrier, ghrelin levels rise and there’s a decrease in our metabolism. A large breakfast that includes protein, carbs and sweets may counteract these changes, so people are able to maintain weight loss over time” Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz of Tel Aviv University in Israel.”2
When it comes to your children, many of us try to shelter them from our own bad eating habits. We eat in private and we hide the evidence. Then we try to teach our kids how to stay on track and eat the healthy foods. But no matter how good your intentions, commenting on your child’s weight or food intake probably isn’t going to help. What does make a difference is presenting a positive role model for them. Change the conversation, and encourage a positive outlook on food:
-
- 1. Reduce the amount of food and fat talk in the house. Your words have a huge impact on your child’s body image. It has been proven that women who recall their parent’s comments on weight and food as a child are more likely to feel the need to lose a significant amount of weight in adulthood3. What you talk about now, influences them for the rest of their lives.
2. Don’t make food a reward or a punishment. Eating should be a way to nourish our bodies, not a bribing technique. When we use foods as a reward or punishment we encourage negative eating habits4.
3. Don’t hide foods or prevent your child from eating certain ones. It will only make them want to eat them more. Instead, allow them to build trust between food and their bodies.
4. Be the role model they need. Change your perspective. Find out how you can change your relationship with food and dieting so that they can see what healthy really means.
Trust me when I say that one piece of cake will not kill you. No matter what you eat, however “bad” it is for you, if you truly sit and savour it, then it will get boring. Once you focus, you’ll realize you don’t actually want to eat a whole plate of treats, you only wanted a few bites. It’s at that moment that you will begin to build trust with yourself and with food. I encourage you to listen to your body, and recognize the cues when they come, then teach your children to do the same. Food doesn’t need to be the enemy. When you teach your children to truly enjoy a treat (and not how to diet), you save them a lifetime of negative eating habits.
Until next time,
Live Life. Love Food. Be Free.
[dt_divider style=”thin” /]
1http://www.unilad.co.uk/grub/science-says-eating-chocolate-cake-for-breakfast-is-healthy-now/
2http://www.livescience.com/18436-cake-breakfast-sweets-diet.html
3http://www.businessinsider.com/how-parents-influence-childrens-eating-habits-and-weight-2016-6
4http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Adolescents-teenagers/Parent-and-Caregivers-Influence-on-Children%E2%80%99s-Eating-Habits.aspx - 1. Reduce the amount of food and fat talk in the house. Your words have a huge impact on your child’s body image. It has been proven that women who recall their parent’s comments on weight and food as a child are more likely to feel the need to lose a significant amount of weight in adulthood3. What you talk about now, influences them for the rest of their lives.
