Between modeling and being a companion to Type-A men, I meet a lot of people who struggle with eating disorders. These folks aren’t in tune to their bodies, so they don’t know how to nourish themselves. I wish they’d think of their bodies like a friend…would they berate their friendship for having some junk? Nope. They’d accept their friend for his/her uniqueness and treat him/her kindly. Easier said than done, I know. It takes time to undo what we’ve conditioned ourselves to believe.
Mindfulness, just like in better sex, can serve here. If the folks I meet were more present when they put food in their mouths, they’d realize how foods make them feel and realize that overeating or undereating aren’t satisfying experiences. If they’d get in tune with their real feelings instead of running from them, they’d give their precious body what it needs to fuel their day, stop labeling food behaviors as good or bad (leading to reactions of craving, overdoing, and sneaking around), and generally enjoy a more present existence. They’d stop spending their lives fighting their bodies and come to a place of peace. Because really, there are so many more important things worth fighting for.