The one thing that I’ve found that throws me off balance and makes me feel the most not like myself is my diet. To really feel like I’m myself and really “with it” my food choices have to be in alignment with what my body needs. When I get into a cycle of eating whatever is around or whatever is convenient, and not really making good, conscious choices about what I’m putting in to my body, that’s when I feel like crap. I’m tired, bitchy, and at times feel completely out of control. This is especially true if I eat foods that I’m particularly sensitive to. Eating in alignment with your body is one of the most beneficial and immediate changes you can make to really feel good—mentally and physically.
How do you do it? How do you eat in alignment with your body?
#1: You give your body what it needs. Your body requires close to 100 different amino acids, vitamins, and minerals just to function properly. A majority of those nutrients are not going to come from burgers, pizza, and pop tarts. You won’t even find many of these nutrients in fortified foods. They must come from the whole, unprocessed source. Unfortunately for us, a lot of these essential nutrients are being stripped from the soils and are not as abundant in our foods as they used to be. Supplementation may also be required to fill in the gaps in nutrition when our food choices aren’t supplying all of our bodies’ needs.
#2: Eat REAL Food. Many of the “foods” that we eat today are manufactured in a facility and loaded with unhealthy and even toxic flavor enhancers, colors, and preservatives to make them look and taste like real foods. Millions of dollars go towards research to uncover which formulas and colors are going to be the most appealing (a.k.a. addicting) to the consumers. So, we’re eating more and more of these substances and getting less and less of the nutrients that our bodies require. One of the best rules I have learned is to consider real foods as those foods that your great great grandparents would consider food. For the majority of us, we’re talking 1800’s. That’s older than sliced bread!
#3: Be aware of how your food choices affect you. Not everyone has food allergies, but many of us have food intolerances and sensitivities. Most of these intolerances and sensitivities usually go unnoticed until we really start to pay attention to what we consume and how it is affecting us. For example, your anxiety, depression, or even fatigue may actually be your body’s response to a specific food or spice. Sometimes these responses are delayed. They can show up days after you’ve consumed it. Alcohol is one of my sensitivities. If I happen to drink more than one or two drinks in an evening, I become a raging bitch two days later. Tracking your food intake as well as your mood (tracking GI trends is great, too!) can help you to see these types of trends over time.
“But Stephanie, I know this. I know all about eating whole foods and sensitivities.
I know what to do, and I just can’t seem to DO IT. Why can’t I make it work for me?”
The answer is different for everyone. Each of us have things that get in the way of us doing what we know we should be doing. The key is to discovering what those unique situations are for us and doing what we can to loosen their control over our choices. Some of the most common culprits are:
Habits- Information Overload
- Hectic Lifestyle
- Social Obligation
- Faulty Goals/Mindset
- Emotions
- Lack of Support from Family and Friends
Many of these will take more than your own willpower to overcome. They will require strategies, confrontations, changes in mindset, acknowledging your emotions, and support and accountability. The great thing is you don’t have to do it alone. There are many resources available from books and programs to coaches like me. It’s just finding what works best for you and fits your needs at this time.
More than anything I want you to feel amazing. I want you to feel alive and aligned with who you really are. The only way we are going to change ourselves and change the world is if we are fully expressing who we are and celebrating everything in our lives. We’re here to enjoy this beautiful planet and experience life to its fullest. Don’t let poor food choices stop you from living that life. Make the choice to start living the life of your dreams, TODAY.
Stephanie
If you would like to explore working with me, I’d be more than happy to speak with you. You can simply contact me to schedule a time to talk.