Rip that Bandaid Off - Get on with Eating Better

People often talk about getting our mindset in order. But what does that mean?

Defining Mindset:

If kind of sounds fluffy, and doesn't really tell us what actually happens to have a mindset change.

Changing your mindset isn't some airy fairy concept that you are somehow gifted from above. It's a change in how you think.

But even that isn't quite it.

To change how we think we need new information. That information can simply be new info. We learn something new, that allows us to see a bigger picture, and get a different perspective.

It also means looking at the same info in a new way. This can be a bit harder. Partly because when we think a certain way, we think that's the right way to think about things. If we have someone point out a new way of looking at info, we resist. We resist because in a way it's like that other person is telling us we're wrong.

But if we want to change our mindset, with the goal of improving some area of our life, we actually must change something concrete. We need to either put new info into our mind, or analyze the info in our mind in a different way.

We need to get over the idea that we were wrong. We can think of it in some other way, some way that doesn't feel negative.

We can think of it as growth, improvement, maturing. Whatever sits well in your head, and puts a positive spin on learning new things and learning new ways of looking at things.

Ok, now that I've set up that frame of mind, I'm going to give some ideas that may be new to you, or that make you think about things a bit differently. Why did I go into such an explanation before getting to the point? Because these are some harsher, more contrasting ideas. The title of the article is "Rip that Bandaid Off" after all.

Idea #1 - Challenging what we know about food:

You have the ability to cook a roast, with some basic instruction. What is there that's telling you it's hard? What influences have there been that tell you you can't do something like cook a roast?

Is it marketers telling you it's so hard to do slaving over a hot stove, and they'll solve it by selling you their expensive service, such a cooking it for you - restaurants, frozen dinners, packaged microwave food?

Marketers spend millions telling you things are hard, and life will be easier if they do it for you. They'll feed you instead of you feeding yourself. They'll cook instead of you cooking.

They'll do the "woman's" work so you don't have to do it. They take over that domestic role in your life and family, since they claim it's demeaning.

It's not women's lib to cook properly for our family. We've let total strangers take on part of the role of housewife in our families. But now we're sick and don't know why.

Even men have to feed themselves. But are they taught to be their own housewife? Cooking has been lumped under the term housewife, and then the term housewife has been demeaned to mean something oppressive. Why is preparing healthy food for your family oppressive?

Why did we get conned to think that way? Why is cooking "beneath" us?

Think about that. In a world of "equality" no one has the domestic role of cooking and preparing wholesome food. We're told it's progress to not cook. Those aren't the words that are used, but that's definitely what they imply.

When we look at the societies that have given up that role, they're not getting healthier, they're getting sicker.

A mindset change would be not taking what the marketers say at face value. Whenever they use the word easier, or simpler or some other similar term, recognize it literally is only a marketing ploy. They have zero interest in actually making your life better, they just want to sell more stuff.

Our societies mold how we think, what we value. Why not take back control of how you think, and what you value.

Our modern society has a massive influence from marketing, far more than we realize. It has molded many attitudes that only serve the marketers and not us.

When it comes to food, much of our modern thinking isn't there to serve us. It's to serve companies who want to sell us some form of premade food.

A mindset change would be deciding that cooking for yourself and your family is an honorable role, with big rewards. We get rewarded with healthier home made food, that's made with love and care.

Idea #2 - Challenging our determination or lack thereof:

This time we'll flow through some statements. They may tick you off or make you mad. Or maybe you'll decide to be open to thinking about some things from a new perspective.

Do you want things to be easy or do you not want to change what you eat?

Do you want to eat junk food but not get sick?

Do you want to drink liquor but not get drunk?

Do you want to change your relationship with potato chips so they'll talk to you nicer? And you can still eat as many as ever?

Or are you willing to cut the cord, throw them out of the house, disown them, divorce them?

Think of the chips like an abusive partner. They can speak pretty words once in a while but they'll still punch you in the face and break your nose (cut your gut to pieces and tear out the lining of your colon).

At some point, it's wise to give up on what doesn't work and what is illogical. There comes a point when you just have to say no.

Do you want to take 5 years to have a mindset change about food? Do you want to stay sick for 5 more years?

Or are you willing to rip off the bandaid and get on with figuring out how to get well?

Your choice.

Do you want to wallow in suffering?

Or do you want to get on with living and ditch the old habits? Habits you didn't consciously plan, that were given to you by marketers making money or arrogant experts who are pushing their unknown agenda.

Setting New Habits:

Mindshifts can happen. It takes some effort to look at things differently. These changes in how you look at things can be painful and make you mad when you first start doing them. With practice they become more like a lightbulb going off where you can make a connection you didn't see before. With practice instead of an angry reaction, you'll have ah ha moments.

If you're interested in exploring how to shift your mindset more when it comes to food and diet, be sure to check out our Mindset & Attitude section.

Shift, eat and enjoy!

Thora Toft