C.H.U.L.A. Method Breakdown: Challenge Negative Thoughts
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
Welcome to the first blog in our CHULA Method series! The CHULA Method is what we use here at Your Latina Nutrition to support you in living your most vibrant and authentic life by reclaiming the joy years of dieting have stolen from you. It’s an acronym that stands for:
The CHULA Method is our process for helping you connect to your body, ditch diets, and make peace with food and your body for good while embracing your cultural food staples.
In this five-article series, we’ll explain one part of the CHULA method in each post.
This post is dedicated to the C in CHULA: “Challenge the negative thought”. We’ll share what it means and how you can put it into practice!
Have you ever noticed an inner voice policing your food choices?
A voice that says certain foods are “bad” and others are “good”?
A voice that makes you feel guilty for eating a certain type or amount of food?
Do you have self-critical thoughts about your body?
Do you blame yourself for any health conditions you may have?
Well, the C in CHULA is all about noticing and reframing these thoughts.
Notice The Negative Thoughts
The first step in challenging negative thoughts is to notice these thoughts. Take moments to pause and observe what’s going on in your mind.
You may have so many racing thoughts that you never take the time to really notice what they’re saying. Yet, the thoughts can be so self-critical or judgmental. They wear on us over time.
Building the awareness of your thoughts gives you the opportunity to make a change.
We are often so hard on ourselves in ways we wouldn’t be with our friends. Think about it.
Would you talk to a close friend about their eating habits or their body the way you talk to yourself?
Remember, Feelings Are Not Facts
It’s important to remember that the thoughts and feelings you have are not necessarily facts.
Just because you have the thought does not make it inherently true.
It might help to check the validity in the thought, like a sort of myth-busters.
What evidence do you have that the thought or feeling is true?
For example, let’s say you’re thinking “Oh no, I can’t eat this tres leches, I’m going to gain so much weight!”. But will one piece of cake really result in a ton of weight gain? Probably not.
Reframe The Thought
Now that you’ve built up an awareness of the thoughts you’re having, you can challenge them.
Let’s take the tres leches example. A reframe might be, “One piece of cake won’t really change my body size and even if it does, my body is still beautiful. I deserve to enjoy this cake.”
You can also start by separating yourself from the thought. Notice the thought as a self-critical thought and practice letting it go. You might imagine it as a cloud floating away in the sky.
As you do, you can practice reframing the thought to something more neutral or positive and believable.
For example, if you notice a thought of “This arroz blanco is so bad for me. I feel so guilty!”, you might reframe that to, “I’m noticing I’m feeling guilty about eating this arroz blanco; yet, it’s central to my culture, and it has nourished my ancestors for generations. It has vital energy for me, and I don’t need to feel bad about enjoying it.”
Final Thoughts
This was a quick overview of how to start challenging your negative thoughts that can help you start to make peace with food and your body. Click here to read the rest of this CHULA method series.
For education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for just $27/month!
