Embracing Fear Foods

Bad food.  I'm not talking about moldy or spoiled produce but instead, foods that bring on intense anxiety or guilt.  In eating disorder treatment, "fear food" is the terminology used to identify foods that are avoided in the diet due to fear. The reason why a certain food (or food group) becomes forbidden can be developed for many reasons. These "bad" foods are typically associated with loss of control or weight gain. These foods are typically high in calories, fat, carbs or sugar. If you've ever been on a diet, you understand the use of food rules for a sense of control.  Whereas safe or "good" foods can be comfortably consumed anytime, forbidden foods bring on anxiety or distress and if consumed, may cause restriction, bingeing, purging or excessive exercising.  With the holiday season quickly approaching, this can be a difficult time if you are struggling with your relationship with food and/or your body. Different types (and excessive amounts) of food can bring on a variety of concerns.  Before learning the strategies to overcome forbidden foods, it's important to understand why you've developed fear of specific foods.  Diet culture has distorted nutrition information. Nutrition misinformation adds fuel to forbidden foods. Although forbidden foods are highly individual, they are heavily influenced by diet culture. There's no reason to develop a fear around pasta unless you have celiac or a gluten intolerance.  Foods such as breads, cookies and potatoes are feared due to their carbohydrate or sugar content. Butter, dressings, dips and oil are feared due to their fat and calorie content. While it's ok not to enjoy certain foods and to say "no thank you", if you find yourself canceling plans to avoid certain foods, needing to compulsively exercise to "make up" for foods eaten, or the presence of certain foods trigger extreme anxiety, judgement or guilt, these are signs that forbidden foods are negatively impacting your emotional and physical health.  Forbidden foods often cause a vicious cycle or restriction, cravings, giving in/binging, guilt/anxiety/shame and then restriction. This is why embracing a wide variety of foods (yep - even those you consider "bad" for you) is a critical step in fostering a healthier relationship with food.  Here are a few tips to help make peace with forbidden foods.  Gradual exposure - pair one of your forbidden foods (ex. Reese's Cup or cookie) with a "good" food, like apple slices. This allows you to desensitize yourself to the anxiety with your "bad" food as you learn to eat all foods in a controlled and mindful manner.  Practice eating more mindfully. Try this exercise to help you become more present around forbidden foods.  Address your emotions - make space for feelings of anxiety, uneasiness or fear. Understand where the feelings are coming from and address why they are so strong right now. If the thought of having ice cream or chips in the house fills you with anxiety, learn to recognize those feelings so that certain foods don't hold power over you.  Create a structured, well-balanced diet - if you are undereating in the morning, your body/brain will crave sugar in the afternoon. If you skip lunch, you will likely overeat at dinner. If you are constantly avoiding carbohydrates throughout the day, high-carb foods will become irresistible in the evening. Set yourself up for success with a well-planned diet so that you are eating balanced meals and snacks (and not restricting on any key macronutrients) throughout the day.

It's time to overcome your fear of "bad" foods

We live in a very carb-phobic society. Despite their role in a healthy diet, alongside providing a great source of energy for athletes, many people feel guilty, anxious and uncomfortable around carbohydrate containing foods.

When I work with an athlete who fears carbohydrates, I often explore the dialogue that goes on in the head when carbohydrates are (about to be) consumed. Not surprising, many athletes experience similar internal dialogue such as "carbs are bad" or "carbs will make me fat" or "I feel so bloated/heavy when I eat carbs." Although the psychology of eating is quite complex, it's interesting how many athletes have a similar list of foods that are either good/allowed or bad/off-limits.

For example, in the past 12 months, have you found yourself recently consuming the following foods?

• Kombucha
• Kale
• Avocado
• Coconut oil
• Turmeric
• Bone Broth
• Bacon
• Eggs
• Butter
• Spaghetti squash
• Cauliflower rice
• Almond milk
• Almond butter
• Coconut milk

While there is nothing wrong with the above foods, these food options are very "in" right now compared to the following foods which appear on the off-limit list for many athletes: 

• Bread - any kind
• Grains - any kind
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Yogurt
• Cow's milk
• Fruit - the high sugar kind
• Corn
• Beans and legumes

There are many risks to restrictive eating as an extreme fixation on "perfect" eating can often deprive you of key nutrients. There are also psychological issues that can result from always needing to stay in control of exactly what goes inside your body and when. It takes a lot of work, energy and time to live a lifestyle where you have an off-limit food list. While some athletes need to take extra precautions to avoid certain foods for medical reasons, most athletes voluntarily restrict food that is termed "bad" because there is a strong belief that eating certain foods will make you lose control over your diet (causing overeating) or you anticipate weight gain or the inability to stop eating the food once you start.

When you fear food (ex. bad food list), eating can be an uncomfortable time as you may feel intense feelings of guilt, anxiety or shame around food (especially when eating in social settings). Whether you fear a food group like carbohydrates, a food category like desserts or certain foods like cookies or peanut butter, fear foods have become part of your life and you may find yourself struggling to meet your personal nutrition and energy needs.

Fear foods develop from many reasons but with the rise of social media interactions, blogs, tweets, websites and instagram posts, there are a lot of mixed messages about food. And an overload of information causes confusion. The more times you avoid certain foods, the longer and longer your fear food list may become - leaving you with little appetite to eat.

Understanding that there are many consequences to living a life with fear foods, such as social isolation, limited nutritional variety, lack of enjoyment in eating, obsessive thoughts and anxiety about food, risk for an eating disorder and an unhealthy relationship with food and the body, remind yourself that food should not have power over you.

The focus of overcoming your fear of bad foods is to step outside of your comfort zone. Because fear foods bring guilt, anxiety and fear into your life, it's necessary to incorporate foods into your diet that were previously off-limit until the anxiety response to a food significantly decreases. This process requires time and help so don't hesitate to reach out to a Registered Dietitian for help.