At the start of 2022, I went on a food and fitness journey that completely changed my life, my body, my energy and the way I see health and wellness forever.

The results I was able to obtain and maintain - like, losing 13 lbs, increasing muscle mass, fat loss, getting rid of back pain, normalizing my period, heightening my focus, energy and attention as well as stabilizing my mood (as much as it can be, I'm a woman lol) - were deeply rooted in ways of thinking; especially, ways of thinking around food.

Here are the 6 strongest mindset shifts that completely changed my relationship with food and gave me the food freedom I always craved and desired:

Diet culture has us believe that some foods are "good" to eat and other foods are "bad" to eat. Where did this begin? Well, ask yourself... where did it begin for you? Your mom? Grandmother? A job? A bully? A magazine? Instagram "guru"? A friend? Or maybe a sports coach? When you believe that there are "good" foods and "bad" foods, you wind up constantly criticizing yourself, you'll never appreciate the conveniences of most modern-day food systems (albeit, while not perfect, there are people who are starving) and lastly, you'll find yourself eating for all the wrong reasons which can mess with your hormones and ultimately, your metabolism.

There is no such thing as good or bad food but not all food is created equal. So, categorize your foods with scientific reasoning vs. someone else's opinion. The best way to do this is categorize your foods based on essential nutrients. For example, Nutrient-Rich vs. Nutrient-Poor OR Nutrient-Dense vs. Empty Calories.

My friend called our health care system the "death-care system" the other day and I couldn't help but laugh. Don't get me wrong, I respect health professionals but there are people who actually choose their job, their lifetime occupation, because of what health insurance their employer offers. Since when did your career (what's supposed to be a gateway for living out your purpose and getting compensated to use your god-given talents and gifts) become about the opportunity to pay a bunch of money in health care costs?

If you ask me, this mentality is ass-backwards. Every food you eat, and the quality of that food, and where that food came from and how that food was produced has a direct effect on you, your mind, your body and your energy. That is care for health.

Don't in-sure your health, en-sure your health! Guarantee it; take control of it (with food).

Trust me, this level of responsibility and interconnectedness to your food has a whirlwind effect on what you choose to eat, and how you feel while eating it.

Think about food like a designer handbag. Quality over quantity, limited makes and models, prestigious yet desirable price points that are oftentimes justifiable due to resale value or outstanding wear and tear overtime, and most importantly, they are *original*.

The opposite? Mass-produced, which means quantity over quality, plus everyone and their mom's dog has them, over-supply which leads to an abundance of waste, usually too cheap to care for, maintain or last and most importantly, they're usually a knock-off.

Instead of looking at food as "whole" or "clean" (because the opposite would be "broken" or "dirty"), I started looking at food as "original" vs. "knock-off". Not only would I rather pay the extra $3 for the Organic Strawberries that were made with tender, love and care but of all the things to buy as a "knock-off", what I put in my body is not a decision I'm super interested in buying a "Genetically Modified" (GMO) version of.

For more information on Original Foods (the state of how a food is supposed to be produced), watch this free masterclass.

Some food-freedom guru's will tell you to flavor up your food because then it doesn't feel like you're on another diet. I'm not going to tell you to do that. Instead, I'm going to tell you to start appreciating the natural flavor of food because you'll get to know the real taste of food for what the food really is.

Ever heard the saying "You are enough" or "I am enough"? It's a self-development affirmation to help individuals see the power, the uniqueness and the individuality already inside them. Well, help your food feel like *they* are enough. Because they are! If you let the natural flavor of food show you what the food is supposed to taste like, you'll cultivate an entirely different relationship with the food itself.

Imagine falling in love with somebody who wound up being a total fraud because they were always covering up who they are with ketchup and ranch and other flashy dips?

I'm not saying don't flavor your food at all. But if you are looking for more simple, natural ways to flavor your food, I provide a list of them inside my Free Downloadable Guide: 30+ Ways to Not Overeat.

It's like being a kid. When your mom said No, you wanted it more. When your mom said Yes, you wanted it less.

Psychologically, when you restrict yourself from food - whether it's a numerical restriction (I can only have 2 of those) or a type of restriction (I can't eat carbs) - you're creating a stronger desire for the food you are restricting. There are studies that show the positive correlation between weight gain for those who are clinical "dieters" right after attempting to complete a diet.

Stop restricting yourself; instead, attempt to understand all foods and how those affect your energy. When you're decisive and certain on how you want to feel, it doesn't matter if you have a sweet-tooth, salty-tooth or even a veggie-tooth, you'll stop deciding for your body and you'll open the door for your body to start deciding for you!

When my food-journey first began, I was living in Florida trying to lose some unnecessary weight while simultaneously trying to be more sustainable in my home. One time I tried being Vegan (which, for my own reasons, I don't recommend - different topic for a different day), and I remember this one day, having a moment in the grocery story, realizing that despite having less food to choose from, much of the food I could eat was purchased in non-reusable plastic.

This juxtaposition led me down a dark rabbit hole of barely wanting to buy food which lead to me barely wanting to eat food or worse, feeling guilty about food. Guilty? For eating food? Wtf, right?

Today I am grateful for all systems, some more than others, but still, grateful. I'm grateful for the systems that show me there's a better way. I'm grateful for the systems that show me there's a worse way. I'm grateful for the systems that are the foundational way. And, I'm grateful for the systems that are an innovative way.

There is no perfect system. Accept it. The faster you do, the less stressed you'll be and the more you can focus on finding the system that works the best for you :)