SALT LAKE CITY — A change in seasons gives a chance to get out of nutrition ruts and recharge. March is National Nutrition Month, so it’s also a great time to focus on increasing nutritional well-being.

A positive mindset toward making healthier lifestyle changes helps individuals focus more on the variety of healthy foods available to enjoy, rather than a rigid diet based mainly on foods to exclude. A flexible eating approach is strengthened by optimism, which is defined by Psychology Today as an adaptive mindset characterized by a positive expectation for the future.

Food optimism can help individuals move forward toward healthier eating habits in perhaps more enjoyable and lasting ways.

New links between optimism and a healthy lifestyle

While much research focuses on eating patterns that help prevent disease, more research is now investigating indicators for optimal well-being, such as the role of positive mindsets like optimism, happiness and life purpose.

One recent study found that more optimistic individuals also had higher blood levels of antioxidants. Interestingly, the level of these protective compounds was only partially influenced by healthy behaviors such as eating a variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.

The researchers found a suggestion of a bi-directional influence where increased optimism could be contributing to higher levels of antioxidants. In other studies, optimistic individuals appear to remain healthier and live longer in general. Based on these findings, it’s not only healthy behaviors but also a positive mindset that have a significant influence long-term health.

Exploring new foods with creativity

Coming from an optimistic view may also help individuals expand their food choices with a more open and playful approach to eating.

One of the benefits of following a Mediterranean eating pattern is the wide array of food choices that support eating according to personal food preferences, as well as the creation of new food traditions. No matter where individuals live, locally and seasonally available foods can be added to diversify a Mediterranean-style eating pattern that is rich in plant-based ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains.

This spring, try experimenting with recipes featuring fresh asparagus, carrots, peas, or onions for example.

Related:

3 ways to connect with your food and those who grow it

During winter the fields are at rest, yet it’s a good time to invest in a renewed focus on healthy food relationships in the growing seasons ahead. Consider how food is grown and the relationships that support its journey from field to table.

How to find food positivity

Ultimately, food optimism could be thought of establishing an ability to create positive eating experiences in daily life that eventually contribute to a healthier relationship with food.

Research on the effects of positivity shows that it expands how individuals approach everyday activities. It allows broadening and building to find new and creative ways to move forward toward desired goals such as to sustain healthy habits. For example, many diets provide "food rules" with very little room for creativity. This can lead to negative thought patterns typically arising when individuals can’t stick to the rules.

A shift in mindset from a limiting, rule-based relationship to food, to a more optimistic, positive mindset might include looking for positive choices to honor personal needs when eating. Choices might include noticing that sleep would feel better than eating at that moment or that getting up early for a morning walk could feel really good before breakfast. The benefit of food optimism is that there are many ways to build a relationship with food and healthy behaviors that truly nourish and sustains us.

To build a more positive relationship with food try the following strategies based on Ellen Satter’s principles of joyful of eating:

• Nourish yourself consistently: Consider ways to make having enjoyable and nourishing meals a daily priority.
• Eat with enjoyment: Remember that food is one of our basic needs and also a source of pleasure. As Ellen says, "Eat it if it tastes good, don’t if it doesn’t."
• Notice more and explore: Try keeping an open and flexible mind as you try out new eating experiences. Optimism often involves a shift in what we put our attention on.

Find out more about an optimistic mindset by taking a quick self-assessment test developed by the University of Pennsylvania. Celebrate the last few days of March by checking out 20 fun ways to eat more fruits and vegetables during National Nutrition Month from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics!

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