by Lindsey Smith

As much as I enjoy food now, I used to spend more time worrying how many cookies I was going to indulge in at a family outing than I did actually enjoying and savoring both the taste of the cookies and the time spent with family.

I felt ashamed for worrying and having to constantly think about food at events. I felt stressed about my weight and body. I felt upset that I couldn’t engage in quality time with people I love because I was fixated on whether or not I would give into the temptation of the dessert table. I was suffering from major “food guilt.”

People who experience food guilt tend to see food as black and white, good and bad, and calories in and calories out. We feel bad when we eat something we know we shouldn’t. We mentally stress about our food choices at home, at work, and at social gatherings. We think about what diet we can start next to overcome the cake and ice cream we had for dessert. Negative thoughts of food crowd our mind, making it hard to think about anything else.

But when it comes down to it, we need food to live. So how do we have our cake and eat it too? How can we start experiencing food in a new way in which frees us from the guilt we have been continuously hanging over?

Here are 3 simple ways to help you to stop stressing and start enjoying:

1.) Cook with Love: Anytime you are cooking up a dish, express gratitude and love during the entire process, from sautéing to chopping. You will be so filled up from the cooking process that you will take more time to enjoy your food and spend less time worrying about it.

2.) Eat with Love: Go into every situation you have with food with a sense of love and appreciation. Whether it’s a bunch kale or a few cookies, express the same sense of love by appreciating your food and where it came from, showing gratitude, and taking time to savor every bite.

3.) Love Others: Know that your friends and family are a sense of nourishment too! The more time you spend with people that love you, the more full you will feel. No cookie can do justice!

And remember, these small changes and shifts in mindset add up to big results! Start with one and work your way up!

Lindsey Smith, known as the “food mood girl” works with people who have a habit of looking to food for all the wrong nutrients: comfort, reward, fun and acceptance. Through speaking and coaching she motivates, equips and inspires people to sort out their relationships with food so they can live a healthy, balanced life. She is also the author of “Junk Foods & Junk Moods: Stop Craving and Start Living!” Connect with Smith via her Web site, www.FoodMoodGirl.com, on Facebook and Twitter @LindseySmithHHC.