9 Ways Improving Your Relationship with Food Will Transform Your Life

Food is not just fuel for our bodies; for better or for worse, it’s intimately intertwined with our emotions, experiences, and relationships.

This means healing and improving your relationship with food goes beyond just the physical aspects of your health. It can have a profound impact on various other dimensions of your life that transforms you from the inside out.

Here are nine ways that nurturing a positive connection with food will lead to ripple effects that can lead to vastly diverse areas of personal growth and development that seep into every aspect of your life:

Ripple #1. Enhanced Emotional Well-being

Healing our relationship with food often involves breaking free from the cycle of guilt, shame, and restriction. When we no longer view certain foods as "good" or "bad," we can liberate ourselves from the emotional turmoil associated with eating. Embracing a more flexible and intuitive approach to eating allows us to enjoy our favorite treats without the weight of guilt.

Here’s a win from Food Body Self student “Cathy” after her first few weeks of coaching:

“I had a bagel yesterday and that was a big win for me because I’ve always restricted bagels. “That’s being bad.” I ate it mindfully and slowly. It was delicious and I had no feelings of guilt and shame. I felt normal eating that way.”

And here’s what Cathy said was one of her biggest takeaways after six months of coaching:

“I have more neutrality with food. I realized that it’s not about the food. It’s about regulating my nervous system and about my habits and what I do to regulate my nervous system.”

Learning how to process emotions in healthy ways serves to enhance emotional well-being in two ways:

When we learn how to feel and remain present with negative (uncomfortable) emotions, contrary to what you might expect, it reduces the amount of time we spend ruminating, worrying, and wallowing in unhelpful thoughts.

On the flip side, when we allow ourselves to stay present with positive (comfortable) emotions, we can savor them without “waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Thus, we’re able to build emotional resilience to spend less time feeling uncomfortable emotions and more time feeling comfortable ones. This emotional freedom spills over into other areas of our lives, helping us reduce stress and experience deeper joy in a broadly impactful way.

Ripple #2. Improved Body Image

As we shift our focus from external appearance to overall well-being, we start to appreciate our bodies for what they can do rather than how they look. A healthy relationship with food empowers us to treat our bodies with kindness and compassion. This change in perspective leads to improved body image and boosts self-esteem.

We recognize that we are more than just our physical appearance, allowing us to engage confidently in various aspects of life without being held back by negative self-perceptions.

“How I see this differently now is simply that my body is one piece and there are things I can control and things I can’t. I am getting older, things are changing, time is happening. This does not affect me. I shine the same.”
- Kendra K

Ripple #3. Nurtured Relationships

Food often plays a central role in social interactions and gatherings. When we heal our relationship with food, we can fully engage in these moments without anxiety or stress. Sharing meals becomes a joyful experience rather than a source of apprehension.

Our newfound sense of ease around food can also translate into improved connections with loved ones. We can focus on meaningful conversations and shared experiences rather than being preoccupied with dietary concerns.

“Getting to feel more normal and being able to socialize with friends brought me so much joy…The most amazing part of the experience was realizing how the food at the party was the least important part to me.”
- Melissa

And more broadly, when we feel comfortable with ourselves, with our bodies and in who we are, we can notice changes in how we interact with others.

This happens when we begin to feel less self-conscious and more confident, as evidenced by Food Body Self student Karen:

“I feel more empowered in my relationships and making connections with others…I think Food Body Self has an impact on everything really as it’s about me as a whole person.”
- Karen

Ripple #4. Heightened Productivity and Time Management

“I'm proud of getting my shit together. I've still got a long way to go but this program has helped me stop putting things off and instead sit down and focus on doing the things that matter. Whether that be writing content or stopping for a moment to take care of myself.”
- Mark A

A healthy and balanced diet provides the essential nutrients our brains need to function optimally. When we prioritize nourishing our bodies, our cognitive abilities are enhanced.

Improved mental clarity, focus, and creativity become the norm, allowing us to excel in various areas of our lives.

As well, transforming your mindset toward food teaches you how to transform your mindset in other areas, like work or time.

“I would say Food Body Self has definitely had a huge impact on how I approach my to do list and time management.
I’m able to use the AFTER exercise or RAFT exercise to help me look at how I approach tasks in a more balanced way. Instead of trying to punish myself into trying to do everything, I look at my time with a different metric. How will doing all of this make me feel? Or conversely, seeing the harm in beating myself up for not getting it all done.”
- Melissa D

But more than that, when we are not constantly preoccupied with restrictive diets or erratic eating habits, we have the mental bandwidth to channel our energy into creative pursuits and productivity.

“I've definitely changed how I act on certain tasks since starting this program. I'm still working on personal development tasks but daily tasks I'm more efficient at getting things done. I’m proud of being able to immediately act on tasks I need to do!”
- Steve C

Ripple #5. Enhanced Physical Performance

When we nourish our bodies with a balanced and varied diet, our physical energy levels soar. Regular physical activity becomes more enjoyable and sustainable, leading to improved stamina and endurance. Whether it's going for a run, practicing yoga, or dancing, a well-nourished body performs at its best.

“I feel like I’m on turbo with my physical body—keeping up with my desires in this area to be vibrant, healthy, sexy, strong, lean…And it continues, and it permeates other areas of my life.”
- Jean P

This boost in physical performance extends beyond structured exercise, empowering us to embrace an active and vibrant lifestyle.

Ripple #6. Cultivated Mindfulness and Presence

Healing our relationship with food often involves practicing mindful eating. Paying close attention to the textures, flavors, and sensations of each bite fosters a deeper connection with our bodies and the present moment.

“It's been pretty transformative for me these past couple of months, especially going back to mindfulness basics.
The mantra that I live by and teach is, you always have a choice about how you respond to your circumstances. But sometimes realizing what those choices are to begin with has to come from that place of awareness.”
- Vitalis

This mindfulness spills over into other aspects of our lives, allowing us to savor the richness of everyday experiences.

We become more attuned to our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings, leading to a heightened sense of gratitude and contentment.

Ripple #7. Less Spending, More Saving

Healing your relationship with food can have a profound ripple effect on your financial habits. The skills that we practice in Food Body Self to reduce cravings, eliminate trigger foods, reduce emotional eating, and more, all translate to your behaviors around food.

“I learned it doesn’t have to be all or nothing—spending no money or overdoing it. Just like with food, I can take a minute. I don’t have to hit “buy” right away.”
- K

Overspending money is a behavior parallel to overeating, and we often use it in the same way as we do food—to self-soothe.

“Remember when I signed up with you I said I had over $40,000 in credit card debt? It was all from buying random stuff and not paying my credit card in full when I could have. It’s now only a little over $4000. I canceled all my credit cards except one.”
- M

When you learn to listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues and practice non-judgmental awareness around your behaviors, you become more attuned to your actual needs, reducing impulsive and emotional spending on food and non-essential items.

In addition, when you learn how to process your emotions in healthy ways, and rewire unhelpful thoughts around food (and money), you no longer need to use these behaviors as a form of self-soothing.

“I’ve stopped shopping where I buy a lot of things and return them and then buy more when I return. I haven’t stopped completely, but it has calmed down. I’m more intentional with what I buy and it’s not so frantic.”
- J

Ripple #8. Enhanced Self-Care

Healing your relationship with food can significantly enhance your self-care routines. By addressing your relationship with food, you lay a strong foundation for more effective self-care, ultimately enabling you to get better sleep and take quality time for yourself, which are crucial components of a holistic and sustainable self-care regimen.

“One of the things I worked on is making more time for myself. No matter how busy I was, I was still able to set some boundaries and to take some decompression time for myself.
I didn’t think I’d ever actually get here [to this place of balance]…The things that I want to do that are meaningful, I can also make time for now…I feel calm and peaceful and more fulfilled.”
- Katie D

You become more adept at scheduling and sticking to self-care routines, including making time for relaxation, exercise, and stress reduction, ultimately fostering a healthier work-life balance and contributing to your overall well-being.

In addition, one of the contributing factors to disordered eating behaviors is low self-worth.

Many individuals with low self-worth struggle with self-care habits because they feel unworthy of being taken care of. They wind up asking themselves the demotivating question, “Why bother?”

After addressing this issue in regards to its contributions to eating habits, when self-worth is bolstered, other self-care habits inevitably fall into place.

Ripple #9. Newfound Confidence

The process of healing your relationship with food often involves setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion, and advocating for your own well-being. These skills can readily transfer into other aspects of your life.

“I’m able to advocate for myself in ways that I wasn’t able to before.
I noticed when I went to check my credit card balance that I'd been charged $260 for an annual membership for a service I don't use. In the past I would've just been like ‘Oh, whatever, I don't want to call and cause a hassle, so I'll just eat the $260.’ NOT NOW, BABY give me back my money!!!”
- L

The reasons for this ripple effect are two-fold: When you address the issue of low self-worth, as we mentioned in Ripple #8, you begin to feel that you’re worth advocating for. Your self-esteem is similarly boosted, giving you the confidence to take new actions.

In addition, within Food Body Self you learn how to sit with uncomfortable emotions, which is a necessary ability for maintaining strong boundaries. For example, if you set a boundary with someone and they react poorly, you’re able to sit with the discomfort and take it in stride, rather than people-pleasing or bending to someone else’s demands.

The emotional well-being skills you learn not only reduce behaviors like emotional eating, they allow you to assert yourself more effectively in personal and professional situations, advocate for your needs, and set boundaries, ultimately leading to greater self-confidence.

Healing and improving our relationship with food is a journey that extends far beyond the dinner table. It's a journey that transforms every aspect of our lives, from our emotional well-being to our physical performance, relationships, creativity, and mindfulness.

By embracing a positive and balanced approach to food, we set off a ripple effect that touches every dimension of our existence, leading us toward holistic growth, fulfillment, and an enriched life experience.

So, let's take a step back, savor each bite, and let your transformation begin.