To kickoff A Healthier Michigan podcast series, our host Chuck Gaidica sits down with certified health coach and dietitian Grace Derocha from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to talk about having a healthy relationship with food. Derocha offers some tips and tricks on how to begin having a healthy relationship with food, showing us a quick and easy meditation/breathing exercise. She then discusses the first question you should ask yourself when you want to eat: Am I hungry? (2:51)

Derocha and Gaidica then dove a little deeper talking about how to properly fuel your body for the day to improve your overall wellbeing. They mention that there is evidence that we eat too much, too often (7:57) and that the people who skip breakfast usually eat later into the night. “Food is a lot of things, more than just fuel, you know. Food is traditions, food is culture, food is your grandma’s favorite dish, food is and can be emotional and spiritual.” (3:31), says Derocha.

Derocha then touches on the importance of making sure the food we eat is both filling and satisfying, demonstrating the difference between the two. (11:24) Some other tips Derocha gives for keeping yourself full and satisfied is to make sure you’re drinking water, keeping indulgent foods out of the house and having a treat to satisfy yourself, but having something more substantial to fill you up. (12:14)

Finally, Derocha circles back and reminds us to be present and mindful while eating, saying “You can build healthier habits, day in and day out, with exercise, with good nutrition and focusing on maybe having good things in your diet, as opposed to thinking you have to cut something out.” (16:32)

Transcript available at: https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/podcast/how-to-have-a-healthy-relationship-with-food/