Food therapy is helping me try foods I avoided for years
I’ve been working with a food therapist, and the biggest surprise is that we don’t just sit down and force ourselves to eat something. We start with looking at it, touching it, smelling it, and talking through what my brain expects will happen. Last week I finally tried roasted peppers, which I’d avoided since one bad experience as a kid. I only ate a tiny piece, but it didn’t turn into a whole ordeal.
I’m still picky, and some foods are probably never going to be favorites. It feels good to have more choices instead of automatically ruling things out. Has food therapy helped anyone else get past long-standing food aversions?
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@Jennifer_Bowen, the part about talking through what your brain expects really makes sense. Sometimes the fear of the reaction is worse than the food itself.
I used a similar step-by-step approach with cooked tomatoes after avoiding them for years. I started by handling them, then smelling them, and eventually tried a little in a sauce. They still aren’t my favorite, but I don’t automatically rule them out anymore.
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The smelling step sounds small, but it can be a big deal when your brain has already decided a food is dangerous. I’ve had that happen with certain textures too, where even thinking about the food made me tense up.
It’s good that cooked tomatoes don’t have to become a favorite for you. Being able to use a little in a sauce without automatically avoiding the whole dish seems like a pretty useful win.
@Jennifer_Bowen, trying a tiny piece without it turning into a whole ordeal sounds like a real win. I like that the goal isn’t pretending every food will become a favorite, just making the choice less automatic.
I had to take a similar approach with certain textures. Looking at the food and smelling it first made it less of a shock, and some things became manageable even though I still don’t reach for them on purpose. Having a few more options makes meals a lot easier.