Practicing Gratitude and Self-Compassion: Nurturing a Balanced Relationship with Food

For a lot of people, if we're able to prioritize a nourishing diet and daily movement, we're doing it to check a box, because it's the thing we know we *should* do, or it's a means to an end. How do we radically shift our feelings toward what we put in our bodies and how we move them?

Gratitude & Self-compassion

The Power of Gratitude: Recognizing the Goodness of Food

Research shows practicing gratitude has a profound effect on your health including:

• Better sleep

• Reduced depression and anxiety

• Improved heart health

• Lower blood pressure

• Fewer aches and pains

• Reduced stress levels

• Increased positivity and happiness

• Longevity

Food nourishes us in a lot of ways and provides the necessary nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants our bodies need to function. Thinking about the food you eat and practicing gratitude for all the ways it supports your body is a great place to start.

How does food make you feel? There's a reason many people turn to food for comfort, it's not just vitamins on a checklist but it can also feed your soul. Popcorn during a movie with a friend, a refreshing popsicle or cold watermelon on a hot day, or a warm bowl of soup when you're feeling sick. There are so many ways food shows up for us, practicing gratitude for these things also increases our enjoyment.

What if we took it one step further and spent a moment feeling grateful for the journey your food took to get to you? How about all the hands that grew your food with love, the person that picked your food from the earth, the person who drove it to the store, and then the individual who put it out in the store? As a society, we live in a time with unprecedented access to a diverse range of food options to nourish our bodies with ease, take a minute to appreciate that on your next trip to the grocery store.

Cultivating Self-Compassion: Developing a Positive Relationship with Food

Breaking the pattern of diet culture is a transformative act of reclaiming autonomy over our bodies. Society has promoted unrealistic beauty standards for way too long and in turn, caused a lot of people, women especially to foster an unhealthy relationship with food.

Are you over it? I am.

Making the choice to actively reject diet culture means we can put that energy into prioritizing self-acceptance and compassion towards our food choices. Fostering a non-judgemental mindset that values the worth of your body and lets go of self-criticism and guilt around food choices means you can approach eating with kindness, forgiveness, and focus on nourishment.

Practicing self-compassion around food choices also allows you to listen to your body's needs and honor your hunger and fullness cues which means you're more likely to make choices that support your overall well-being. A healthier relationship with food means you experience greater balance and joy, not only in the kitchen and at your dining room table but in all areas of your life.

What does this look like for you? Here are some practical tips to incorporate more gratitude and self-compassion into your life each day.

1. Gratitude Journal: Keep a dedicated journal to jot down three things you are grateful for related to your eating habits each day. It could be a nourishing breakfast, a homemade meal, or a pleasant dining experience.

2. Letting Go of Guilt: JUST STOP. Release feelings of guilt or shame around food choices. Instead, focus on self-compassion and forgiveness. Understand that everyone has indulgences, and it's part of a balanced approach to eating.

3. Celebrate Food Choices: Instead of fixating on what you can't eat, celebrate the nutritious foods you choose to nourish your body. Try using language like "I get to eat... I can eat..." instead of "I can't have that".

4. Practice Intuitive Eating: Listen to your body's cues and eat mindfully. Check out my blog about that here.

5. Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative self-talk with kind and encouraging words when it comes to your eating habits. Offer yourself affirmations like, "I am making choices that support my well-being" or "I am grateful for my body's ability to enjoy nourishing food."

6. Cultivate a Gratitude Ritual: Create a ritual before or after each meal to express gratitude. It could be a moment of silence or simply taking a few deep breaths to acknowledge the nourishment you are about to receive.

7. Reflect on the Positive: At the end of the day, reflect on the positive aspects of your eating experiences. Recall moments of satisfaction, joy, and nourishment. Shift your focus from any perceived "mistakes" to the overall positive choices you made.
   

If you're struggling with your relationship with food, intuitive eating or choosing nourishing food and looking for no BS, supportive coaching, schedule a free consultation, I'd love to work with you.

Embracing Mindful Eating: Nourishing Body and Soul

You're busy, I get it. If you're a parent like me, and even if you're not, sometimes feeding yourself can be the last thing on your to-do list or something you fit in while in a meeting or in the car.

Why do I care?

Your nervous system has two states of being; ‘fight or flight’ or ‘rest and digest’. When you are operating in ‘fight or flight’ mode, all your blood and energy is sent to the brain, heart, and muscles so that you can either fight or run away from danger.

In ‘fight or flight’ mode you are NOT in the best state to digest your food. If you eat when your nervous system is thinking it needs to be preparing for combat, you will likely suffer digestive symptoms like heartburn, indigestion, bloating, gas, and either constipation or diarrhea. Because your body is not focusing on digesting food, you also won’t absorb as many nutrients from whatever you are eating, not to mention miss out on the actual enjoyment of your food which is a really important part!

Be honest with yourself - can you take 15 minutes to slow down and actually be present with your food? Is the world going to fall apart in that short period of time? I know this is not always realistic for a hectic morning of meetings or getting the kids ready for school, but most of us have at least one meal or even a snack each day that we can slow down and be more mindful with.

By cultivating mindfulness in our eating habits, we can enhance our overall well-being and create a more harmonious relationship with food.

1. The Art of Slowing Down: Mindful eating starts with slowing down the pace of our meals. Get off your phone, step away from the TV, avoid the dreaded doomscroll while eating. Take a moment to pause before digging in, and observe your food with curiosity. Notice the colors, smells, and textures. By savoring each bite and chewing slowly, we allow ourselves to truly experience the flavors and enjoy the nourishing process.

2. Engaging the Senses: Engage your senses during mealtime. Tune in to the sounds of food preparation, the aroma that fills the room, and the colors that fill your plate. As you take a bite, pay attention to the different tastes and textures and how the food feels in your mouth. Engaging all your senses enhances the pleasure and satisfaction derived from eating and gets your digestive juices for better nutrient absorption and digestion.

3. Listening to Your Body: One of the fundamental principles of mindful eating is learning to listen to our body's cues. By slowing down while eating, you're more likely to notice when hunger arises and when it begins to subside. This allows you to honor your body's needs and maintain a balanced relationship with food.

If you're ready to take it one step further, check out the link below to download a mindfulness activity you can do in just a few minutes with a piece of chocolate or another treat. If you give this a try once, every day, or all week, I'd love to hear how it goes for you. Feel free to drop me an email or shoot me a DM on Instagram.

Chocolate Mindfulness.pdf

Download PDF • 107KB

More Plants for the Planet!

Everyone has their reasons for going plant-based. I grew up eating mostly plant-based, eating some dairy here and there. Making the transition to fully plant-based and flexing sometimes depends on what's going on in my life (pregnancy, postpartum, training etc) has been easier for me than others.

Lately, going vegan has become a more popular lifestyle choice since there are so many mainstream alternatives to dairy and meat. Plant-based diets have a lot of health benefits, and save a lot of animal lives. Additionally, the focus on how consuming meat and dairy products affects the planet has also been a big factor for a lot of people.

In honor of #earth day, I wanted to talk about the specific benefits to the planet of opting for a diet of mostly plants.

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

One of the biggest benefits of going vegan is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The livestock industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gases than all transportation combined. Methane, which is produced by cows and other livestock, is a potent greenhouse gas that is 25 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Saved water

Another benefit of going vegan is the reduction in water usage. Animal agriculture is a very water-intensive industry, with some estimates suggesting that it takes up to 2,500 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef. In contrast, it only takes about 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of wheat. By switching to a vegan diet, you can help to conserve water resources and reduce your impact on the planet.

Preserved land

Animal agriculture also contributes to deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats. The clearing of land for animal grazing and feed production has led to the loss of forests and other ecosystems, which has negative impacts on biodiversity and climate. By going vegan, you can help to preserve these vital ecosystems and protect the planet's natural resources.

Protection of biodiversity

The production of animal-based foods often leads to the destruction of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity. By adopting a plant-based diet, we can help protect the diversity of life on our planet. Plant-based agriculture can be more sustainable and actually promote biodiversity by using crop rotation and other methods to promote soil health.

Reduced water pollution

Livestock waste can pollute water sources, leading to the proliferation of harmful algae and bacteria. By consuming fewer animal products, we can reduce the amount of animal waste that ends up in our waterways.

What about you?

• One person who goes vegan can save approximately 219,000 gallons of water a year!

• If you ate one less burger a week, it would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles.

• If you switched from using dairy milk to an alternative beverage, the level of greenhouse gases emitted would be 2/3 lower, or more!

• A vegan diet requires about 75% less land than a diet that includes meta, dairy and eggs.

In addition to these environmental benefits, a diet that prioritizes more whole foods in the form of plants also has positive impacts on personal health and animal welfare. Vegan diets are often rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and have been linked to lower rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Vegan diets also eliminate the need for animal cruelty and exploitation, which is an ethical consideration for many people.

Let's not be tricked into thinking that our own choices can't make a difference. Choosing to eat more plants and less meat and dairy products, even one day a week is a powerful way to make a positive impact on the planet and your health. Give mother earth some love today, and every day by choosing more plants.