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I have been thinking about this a lot recently, how different things were when we were children. You just need to have a look at a young kids relationship with food and movement to notice fundamental differences from that of most grownups.

Think of how a Child treats the day of eating. They will get up go grab some food, maybe some cereal, an apple and start eating slowly. Until he is no longer hungry, probably waiting until there is a slight “fullness” in his stomach and the desire for food turns into desire to get away from food. If he gets hungry later on in the day or needs something before playing around he’ll go grab a snack before heading out. At dinner time he will eat to appetite, sometimes putting his fork down half way through a meal and other times finishing everything and asking for seconds…..

There is no notion of calories, what is “good” or “bad” food a child really knows how to just eat the food. Of course this may not always be the most healthy stuff, but children’s tastes are heavily influenced by what they have grown up eating and their parents influence.

The beauty of the way a child eats is they really listen to their bodies, they eat to appetite and never do grownup things like binge or deprive themselves. They have found balance, or maybe they just haven’t lost theirs……

Think of how a Child treats a day of play. Again they will probably not even think about exercise, going to “workout” like us adults do. A child will head to school, meet-up with friends and have fun in their break time’s sometimes this may mean just running round looking for stuff, other times it maybe a game of some kind. They will also know how to say “I’m tired” and take it easy that day. There is no scheduled exercise and they don’t care about missing a session as there will always be another opportunity….

Again there is no sign of forcing themselves to do something they don’t want to do or don’t “feel” like doing. They exercise because it is fun, some adults keep this mindset but too many others get caught up in the notion of a strict schedule of weight routines and cardio, freaking out if they miss a days training.

So What Can We Learn?

Well the first step is to think back to the young version of yourself who had plenty of energy, didn’t over think stuff and ate solid food to appetite. But what are the take home lessons?

  • Learn to slow down your eating just a tad, appreciate and taste your food properly.
  • Eat to Appetite, what does that mean? well its usually when you start feeling fullness in your stomach. If you are still hungry after one serving, it is cool to grab some more.
  • Don’t be afraid to have healthy snacks between meals. It is not good to arrive at a mealtime ravenous.
  • Food is Fuel, Food gives life, yet it is comforting and relaxing…. So eat it
  • Exercise when you feel like it, if you are exhausted, slept badly, or are totally unmotivated your body does not need extra stress via exercise.
  • Find something you actually enjoy doing, whether it is running, going to yoga or lifting weights doesn’t matter.
  • Exercise because it is fun and good for you, rather than to burn off calories or compensate for a certain lifestyle.
  • Exercise should be fun and playful, never draining. It is important to leave a workout feeling energised….
  • Exercise communally when you can, playing sports with friends or attending classes in the gym.

Those are a few of the points I could think of, but the list goes on. The most important point though is to appreciate food and exercise for what they are sources of fun, bonding time and they give life.

If we could all pickup a few of these lessons our lives would change for the better, stress would decrease and truth be told we would all probably end up eating less, eating healthier, exercising on a more natural but less routine/scheduled basis and improving our bodies.

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And also checkout my e-book ‘A Simple Guide to Eating Well‘. Thanks for reading.

1 comment so far

  1. Comment by Dave
    7 October 2010

    Great set of lessons. I think a lot more people would be in good shape if they followed these simple childhood tips.

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