A Simple Foundation

There’s a lot of noise surrounding diet - what you should or should never eat, what’s considered clean, and let’s not even begin to talk about where the advice begins to conflict.  When did it become so complicated?

Live Abundantly - Lose the Labels - Care for Yourself - Feed Your Mind

These four tenants were selected to help simplify it. We can all agree that food is a huge part of life. It’s cultural. It’s personal. It’s vital. It doesn’t need to be stressful. Remember, you are the one consuming food, your diet doesn’t need to consume you.

Live Abundantly

When it comes to food, it seems diet culture is constantly pushing a “lack” mentality. Lower calorie options, tricks and tips for eating less, making yourself small - but let me ask you this: when has a mentality rooted in restriction ever produced a vibrant, fulfilling life? Instead of focusing on things you “should” or “shouldn’t” have, let’s focus on giving permission to include all foods.  The vast amount of flavors, textures, and ingredients are nearly limitless. Now throw in the opportunity to try or create a new recipe - infinite.  

We seek more energy, improved health, better relationships, more confidence - but we’re giving ourselves less and less of what we need. We intentionally deprive ourselves. When does focusing on having less and less, give us more of what we want?

So what does abundance actually look like? It means full permission to eat and to lose the self-imposed restriction. It looks like caring for your body the best way you know how - with nourishing, filling, and satisfying foods.  It means eating and experiencing fullness. It also means honoring cravings when you have them and creating space for all parts of you.

Lose the Labels

The amount of diets and descriptions of food seems to increase everyday - paleo, keto, clean, toxic - it’s endless.  What if we used phrases like “nourishing our bodies,” “honoring cravings,” or even took the famous “self care” approach when it comes to our diet? Caring for yourself would require you to really know both what you want AND what will nourish your body. While your physical body can be cared for with food, you are much more than just that. You’re a human with cravings, experiences, memories, and people who love you. None of this can fit in a one size fits all approach. No one word label can define that. Your diet should encompass all parts of you. Getting clear on what works for you is more important than putting food into any category.

Care for Yourself

Back to this idea of self care through food, I dare say it’s become one of my favorites. When we think of self love, we might hear Tom and Donna yelling, “TREAT YO’ SELF” in the background.  If you’re thinking about food when reading that, your gut reaction might be something sweet or your favorite meal - but what if it's more than this?

I’m a firm believer that loving yourself through food is an all encompassing approach.  Yes, it includes all the foods you crave AND it includes a nourishing meal that’s going to provide all those juicy little micronutrients your body needs. It includes responding to that quiet hunger and gentle fullness while also understanding you can enjoy food outside of those terms.  All of this requires knowledge - knowing your own body first, then understanding basic, gentle nutrition. How empowering is it to have the ability to enjoy the foods you love and include the ones that benefit your health in the long run? 

Feed Your Mind, So You Can Mindfully Eat

We know how to feed our physical bodies, but as I mentioned before, we are not just made up of flesh and bones. Luckily, we have the ability to learn what our bodies need by getting in touch with ourselves. It’s a process of getting curious and learning more. This is where the concept of “feeding your mind, so you can mindfully eat,” was born.

Being mindful while eating means being present and being curious enough to learn. Be present enough to listen to your body’s hunger and fullness, to identify cravings, and to acknowledge any emotions you may have surrounding food. Curiosity and learning adds another dimension. It’s being mindful enough to know your body needs the foods you love and crave, along with things like vitamins, omega 3s, and water.  It’s knowing sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrates are all equally part of that. Ultimately the goal here isn’t some false perfection or preoccupation - its learning more about yourself, learning about the food that works for you, and finding an appreciation for all it that.