Part 1 in a Series: How to Eat for a Nutritious and Delicious Life
You’ve heard the sayings:
“Food is fuel.”
“Food is medicine.”
“You earned it, eat the cookie.”
Ugh. They’re not entirely wrong. But they’re not right. Looking at food purely as fuel, as a reward, as a punishment or even as medicine is just limiting.
Here’s the one I think is the most true. Food is love.
I don’t mean that if you love someone you bake them cookies or bring them cupcakes. You can, that’s part of it. But there’s so much more to it than treating someone else or yourself. I talked about this in my article about finding true love in food.
That article is about the formula for a healthy meal. And it includes a word I made up that has taken off like fetch. (In case you haven’t seen Mean Girls, that’s a joke.)
Today, I don’t have a formula. I have a question. Actually, two. It was going to be just one, but that led to another one. So it’s two questions, but they could change your life, in the same way they have changed mine.
Today, I invite you to think about why you eat. Not the meal that you’re choosing or how many bites you are taking, but why.
First question.
Why are you choosing to eat?
A few years ago, I was working with my own health coach. I was maybe 6 weeks into my journey and feeling so good about the progress I was making. This was not too long after the pandemic so social outings were still pretty limited. I was eating most of my meals in the sanctity of my own home.
But then, I was getting ready to go to a conference and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stay on my healthy eating plan. Although I knew what I needed to be eating to feel good, I was worried that if my plate was “too healthy” or if I chose not to eat dessert, people would judge me.
Side note: You’ve been to those events where you sit down to the table and before the salad is even served the dessert is already placed as part of your table setting? Why? I’m sure it logistically makes sense for the venue, but come on.)
I didn’t want to look like a weirdo by not eating what everyone else was eating (as you can see, I’ve made great progress with my concerns about looking like a weirdo).
She asked me “Why do you think people are paying attention to what’s on your plate?”
Insert the sound of a record scratching here. WHAAAAT?! You mean they aren’t?
That simple question unlocked two things for me.
- Where was that idea coming from?
- If no one is really paying attention to what’s on my plate, then it really is up to me.
Well then, if it’s up to me then I get to decide why I’m eating.
There are many factors that can affect what we choose to eat and how much. I get into this topic in my article on emotional eating.
The realization that what I eat is up to me made me think about this first question: Why am I eating?
And here it is, the mindset that changed how I eat.
Eat to nourish – mind, body, joy.
Eat to nourish. That means I give my body the nutrients it needs (macros, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and electrolytes for fuel and medicine), but I also get the fat and carbs that my brain needs for cognitive function.
And finally, I am eating foods that make me feel good in my heart and spirit. Not just in the moment, but also 20 minutes later (I’m not feeling indigestion because I’ve eaten something my body doesn’t like) or the next day I feel energized (because I have consumed the nutrients my body needs).
Second question.
Are you paying attention to how you feel after you eat?
Over the years, I’ve noticed how my body responds to refined sugar and it’s not good, friends. I almost immediately feel a little bloated and within minutes, I’ll feel a headache coming on. For years, I went ahead and ate the sweet things because they sounded good or I thought “oh, this time maybe it won’t bother me.” Or, I ate it because I didn’t want to be rude or go against the norm and look like a weirdo (you can see I have a real weirdo phobia). I guess part of being an adult is realizing you’re going to look like a weirdo one way or another. Or, that people aren’t really paying that much attention to you and what’s on your plate.
If you can eat a cookie and feel good afterwards, more power to you. But are there other foods that you eat, that you notice don’t sit well with you? Are there foods you eat that leave you feeling tired, gassy, bloated, uncomfortable, less than fabulous within minutes or possibly the next day?
We are so attuned to how we are feeling before eating. “I’m so hungry.” “I’m craving something sweet.” “I want those fries.” And because we are a culture of instant gratification, we often respond with impulsive choices that lead to dissatisfaction.
So, take a beat. Yes, you need to eat because you’re hungry. And your body might need something sweet or something salty. But think about what that food is really doing for you.
After you eat, ask yourself this question: How do I feel?
One more time for my friends in the back:
Eat to nourish – mind, body, joy.
I hope that this mindset shift to nourishment is one more healthy step on your wellness journey.
And I’ll just leave you with one of my favorite sayings:
“People who love to eat are always the best people.” – Julia Childs
Be well, my lovelies.
Read Part 2: What Should I Eat?
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