Psychosomatics

Hello,

I have a question regarding psychosomatics and diet. What is your opinion on the idea that a person can eat anything they crave, including supposedly unhealthy foods, as long as it is in moderation and not to the point of overeating? I believe that if a person restricts themselves in their diet in some way (by eliminating all "bad food" from their meals), it could lead to greater indulgences and psychological issues.

Since psychosomatics examines the influence of emotions on bodily processes, it is always true that the long-term consumption of foods we do not like can undesirably affect various metabolic processes (most often the digestive tract) through the creation of "negative" emotions. This way, various health complications (e.g., digestive disorders) can be somatized. Therefore, the diet should predominantly consist of foods (recipes) that we truly enjoy (generally, nobody—unless they have to—will continue to eat food they do not like over the long term). Given the lack of a clear definition of healthy and unhealthy foods, it is challenging to establish any rules here. On the other hand, we are beings driven and controlled by emotions, so the state of our mind always determines how we perceive reality. This means we have the opportunity to convince ourselves not to eat so-called "unhealthy" foods not just for rational reasons (such as the presence of undesirable substances), but also because we simply don’t like them (if we decide so). In such a situation, it only depends on how we set up the concept of our diet to ensure it exhibits all the necessary nutritional characteristics (which can be achieved with some effort). However, if you perceive this as a limitation, from a psychosomatic viewpoint, you are heading in the wrong direction. It is essential to learn to work with your mind in favor of a self-defined goal—it is not problematic for the diet to contain a small amount of (potentially) unhealthy foods (the body can metabolize them and, by adhering to the rules of moderation, can eliminate their undesirable effects without significant issues). At the same time, it is feasible to maintain metabolism and health in the zone of optimal functioning solely with foods we believe belong to the so-called "healthy" category.