It’s a familiar story: every January, gyms fill up, and resolutions to eat better or lose weight top many people’s lists, only to fade into mere good intentions as the year progresses. Why do we fail?
There are many factors surrounding why we give up on healthy eating. But the first question is, indeed, what is healthy eating? The prevailing discourse always uses words like “balance,” “equilibrium,” etc., but faced with the bombardment of contradictory scientific information (not to mention sources lacking scientific rigor) about the best diet composition, we find contradictions regarding the optimal way to combine fats or carbohydrates. Furthermore, if we are more meticulous, some substances—such as caffeine—are the subject of scientific studies in which, on one hand, its consumption is discouraged, while on the other, it is studied as an antioxidant for the prevention of certain cancers. Even with substances considered most harmless, for example those found in fruits and vegetables, we could compile a list of those potentially harmful to the body. Perhaps, rather than focusing on diet composition, we should pay attention to factors we commonly overlook that largely determine what we eat.
Perhaps changing a habit is not about information. We must accept that eating is a learned behavior. All our preferences, tastes, customs, and habits around food are shaped from birth through the experiences we develop with food, through which we also relate to others. The smell and taste of a food can be so powerful that it evokes a pleasant or entirely unpleasant memory. The way we were exposed to new foods, new flavors, the opportunities presented to us to try new dishes or reject others without even tasting them, greatly shape how we eat today. If we want to change a habit, it requires more than simply becoming aware of what is good or bad, or what should or should not be eaten.
We all know what feels good or bad for our bodies. Almost everyone knows that garnachas, no matter how delicious, when made with burnt oil, will hardly pass through the digestive tract without consequence. Conversely, when we incorporate foods that suit our bodies, we feel it too. The problem arises when we try to force a habit change abruptly, through rationalization (which often feels like punishment), and thus, many times, results in a failed or non-permanent resolution. Perhaps the key lies in re-enchanting what we eat, exploring new ways to cook an ingredient or dish that we know is good for our body, sharing preparation and meals with pleasant company, gradually re-educating our palate by incorporating new flavors and preparation methods, listening to our bodies when we feel hunger and satiety, structuring our meal times to give them the attention they deserve, among many other actions. With these tasks, we already have a long path ahead to ensure our diet, in addition to health, brings us social and emotional satisfaction.
— This article was originally published in Spanish by Liliana Martínez Lomelí. Translation generated with AI from the original text.