.png)
As we accumulated cycling miles and elevation in the French Alps, I spent very little time on social media. When I eventually opened my Facebook app and started scrolling, I was quickly reminded of our nation's unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. After a few posts talking about intermittent fasting and low carb diets, I had to close the app as I became so frustrated to see what I was reading.
Certainly, my situation is a bit unique in that Karel's family lives in Czech so we live like a local with homecooked meals every day. But for several weeks when we are in Europe, we are fully emersed in a different style of eating - one that we grately appreciate. Not only are the ingredients and cuisines different, but the entire European eating culture is different than the typical American lifestyle. The fact that there is a grocery store at almost every corner of the town, biking is a common form of transporation and there are sidewalks everywhere for walking, says a lot about the infrastructure of the European culture versus in America. European cities are very pedestrian-friendly - regularly giving pedestrians (and people on bikes) the right of way. Sadly, our country doesn't really make it easy to naturally live a healthy lifestyle. Unless you live in a major city, it's rare to walk from place to place. It's not uncommon for Europeans to leave their office at lunchtime, often for more than an hour, to go home to enjoy a warm meal. More so, it's no secret that American's are overworked and stressed, which makes it even harder to maintain a good relationship with food.
In America, healthy eating is not just preoccupation but it is an obsession. It's not uncommon for the typical American to spend decades of life feeling controlled or confused by food. Weighing, measuring, calculating every meal to get it "right." The diet industry has made eating (which should be rather simple) extremely confusing, complicated and conflicting. Social media, healthism, fat phobia, self-objectification and the toxic diet culture have led many people to fear food and despise the body they see in the mirror.
When we were in Karel's hometown of Znojmo, Czech Republic we ate a lot. We also walked a lot. Grocery stores were convenient. Food delivery was not. It's hard to eat in the car when you drive a manual transmission. It was not common to drink your coffee on the go. Gas stations serve real food and excellent coffee. And there's even a place inside the gas station to sit down and enjoy your coffee in a real cup. Portions were always reasonable (small to American standards) but the food tasted amazing. We were satisfied after each meal. Our meals included a lot of olive oil, butter, salt, potatoes and cheese. There was structure in our day as it was expected that lunch would be served at noon - often a two course meal, starting with soup. Always served on nice dishes. Even during the Haute Route Alps, we ate on real dishes after every stage. I saw very little plastic during our event. Seasonal eating is taken very seriously in Europe. Eating strawberries after July doesn't make sense when plums are heavily in season.
Now don't get me wrong. I would have given anything to have a meal delivered to us after riding 100+ miles in the French Alps. And for the last two stages, my dinner meal was chips and cereal.
But when I return from Europe, I'm reminded of America's relationship with food - and to be honest, it's kinda messy. People are not only disconnected from their own bodies but also disconnected from food. Instead of making peace with food and putting effort into creating sustainable healthy habits and positive eating behaviors, it's normal to be caught up in the latest diet fads - fasting, keto, low carb, etc. - constantly searching for the easist, quick fix solution. When in Europe, after eating meal after meal prepared and served with so much care and love, I struggled even more to understand why it's acceptable and encouraged to starve yourself of food. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared. The diet culture has taught you to feel guilty about calories consumed, to obsess over what "bad" food is off-limit or to believe that your self worth is tied to your physical appearance.
Sadly, the diet industry has done so much damage to the American body and mind. I realize this is not just an American issue but American's are deeply entrenched in dieting, food guilt, deprivation and restrictive eating.
I always try to learn lessons when I am in another country. When it comes to improving your relationship with food, here are a few lessons learned from European eating:
- Make the time to prepare meals. Enjoy the process of collecting ingredients, patiently chop and cook and take pride in the final product.
- Fill yourself with flavor. Choose the real version of ingredients to ensure your meals are of high quality. You may find that you end up eating less but feeling much more satisfied.
- Take time to sit down and eat. Eating a meal should not be a burden. It should be done at a table, with silverware. Consider a more structured eating regime so that meals don't turn into mindless snacking.
- Eat with others when possible. Not alone in the car or behind a computer desk. It's not a burden to take 30 minutes out of your day to enjoy a meal. Relax and taste your food.
I've learned a lot from my travels to Europe and I carry the following tips with me to maintain a healthy relationship with food wherever/whenever I eat:
-Welcome all foods without restrictions
-Listen to your body to guide your eating choices
-Be flexible with eating choices
-See the value in food beyond calories
-Remind yourself that your value as a human is not determined by your image.
-Welcome all foods without restrictions
-Listen to your body to guide your eating choices
-Be flexible with eating choices
-See the value in food beyond calories
-Remind yourself that your value as a human is not determined by your image.