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Believe You Must Nourish to Flourish
“Food is fuel and not a solution to anything other than giving your body nutrients. I love chocolate like the next girl, but it’s not going to change my situation.” —Gabrielle Reece
I’ve gone on diets, taken nutritional courses, and worked with my life coach to help me see food as a friend, not a foe. For the longest time, I was an emotional eater. I ate when I was sad. I ate when I was happy. I ate when I was angry. It wasn’t until I learned to eat with awareness and to eat mindfully that I learned to use food to provide my body with nutrients, not to numb my feelings. I learned I must nourish my body in order to flourish.
I used to fuel my body the way I’d fuel my car—I waited until the tank was almost empty. The gas gauge tried to warn me, but I ignored it until the very last minute. Late for work, I filled up under duress, and caused myself unnecessary worry and anxiety. I had to realize how much easier it was to fill up my tank sooner—to not take a chance of running out of gas and damaging the engine. Then my car and I stopped running on fumes.
Over the years, I learned to appreciate food for what it could do for my body. Then I chose foods based on their nutritional value, rather than as a tool to avoid my feelings or to-do list.
Over the years, I learned to appreciate food for what it could do for my body. Then I chose foods based on their nutritional value, rather than as a tool to avoid my feelings or to-do list. I paid attention to which foods made me feel tired and which gave me energy. I kept a food journal to determine which foods filled me up faster and which foods left me feeling hungry.
Food became a self care tool. Now I eat at a slower pace and serve myself smaller portions. I give my stomach time to tell my brain it’s full. I use smaller plates, eat three meals a day, and arrange the food by color on a pretty plate so it’s pleasing to the eye. I eat at the dining room table instead of at my desk. I think about where the food comes from, the farmer who grew it, and the truck driver who got it to the store.
Little by little when I changed my relationship with food, I saw it as something I use for fuel and to keep my body running at its best. I stopped using food as something just to provide comfort or an escape. Now I fill up with healthy foods and use mealtime as another self care tool.
Quick Action Step: Write down one thing you’ll do today to nourish your body.
You’ve just read an excerpt from Believe, Practice, Choose – the Gift of Self Care: 21 Tips for Your Self Care Tool Belt. Discover how 21 days of self care can change your life. Order a copy on Amazon at amzn.to/3rXTiyb
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Want more ideas for self care and healthy eating? Go to https://fuzzyredsocks.com/invest-in-yourself/ and https://fuzzyredsocks.com/the-perfect-time-for-self-care/