I was inspired to write this after reading a post by Ragen Chastain of Dances With Fat regarding the moralization of food choices.
TRIGGER WARNING:
Discussion of food, diet, and body image
Stopping labeling food as "good" or "bad" has made an incredible difference for me in developing a healthier relationship with food. Due to my diabetes, it is preferable if I eat foods that have a low glycemic impact. Unlike the conventional wisdom holds, these are not necessarily ultra low carb foods. They tend to be foods with complex as opposed to simple carbohydrates.
After initially being diagnosed with diabetes, I basically went on the Atkins diet and felt like shit. I thought I was going to pass out. The sweeteners used in their products (mostly Erythritol) caused digestive problems better neither imagined nor described. I felt like a vampire because I'd been trying to move to a diet that was more vegetarian than not. Plus, doing this did not really help my blood sugar readings all that much.
Eventually I threw that whole method in the trash. For a while I wasn't mindful about what I was eating at all. At this point I've moved to a mostly vegetarian diet with a lot of complex carbs, but guess what, I still like my dessert. I make my desserts with either real sugar, with honey, or with a blend of Stevia and sugar. I don't use artificial sweeteners because I feel like ass when I do and they make food taste terrible. And if I eat half a sleeve of Thin Mints at a sitting, even though this isn't the greatest idea for a person with diabetes, I'm not going to lambaste myself for doing it.
There are foods which have better nutritional value, and we ought to be mindful of our food sources if possible. Some people really don't have that option because they're in a "living hand to mouth" situation. However, I no longer label foods as "good" or "bad," and it has made a world of difference in my self perception.
I still struggle with my self image. I live in the world where I am the "worst thing" a person can possibly be: a fat, older woman. Seeing people with my body type and my age range constantly belittled does take a toll on my psyche. When I post pictures of myself, it takes a lot of courage because I know I'm running the risk of becoming a cruel Internet meme. However, even if I don't see myself as attractive, I realize that I and everyone else deserve to be treated with common decency, whether I am attractive or not. And certainly, my food choices have nothing to do with my worth as a human being.
There are no "good foods" or "bad foods" and I no longer play the "good fatty" with self-deprecating "humor" or calling myself "bad" for the times when I eat "junk" food. Interestingly enough, since adopting this line of thinking, the foods I eat tend to be more nutritionally sound.
People tend not to take care of things they hate, including our bodies. Nobody should be bullied into hating their body. If you don't like the way someone else's body looks, you're welcome to look at something else. It's pretty arrogant to think that other people exist only to decorate your world.
~The Cheese Hath Grated It~
