Lesson Three
7 Tips To Boost Your Health & Happiness Through Intentional Cuisine
If food were a person, what type of relationship would the two of you have?
Are you always stressed out and tense when you’re together,
or do you treat food as a welcomed guest?
Are you in a rut? Is your relationship full of life and color,
or is it bleak and dreary; washed out of energy and vibrancy?
Case Study
Tammy was about ten pounds overweight. She felt sluggish and tired most of the day. After looking at her daily eating habits, I found that she was barely eating throughout the day and then overeating at night. She especially did a lot of after dinner snacking on chips & pretzels.
I had her realize that what feeds our body, besides the breath, are the nutrients we receive from our food. So by incorporating her five senses of taste, smell, vision, hearing and touch into her newly educated food choices she found her meals to be more satisfying, she was excited about a daily variety of fruits and vegetables, and she boosted her energy level so her excess weight melted off.
Here are today’s 7 tips:
- Eat a rainbow of color by consuming fruits & vegetables (organic when possible).Live foods give you energy and nourishment. Notice all the beautiful colors of foods in the produce department. At the end of the day have you eaten all 7 colors of the rainbow?
- Give your body what it needs.You are bio-individual. What you need and what works best for you is available if you listen. Your body will communicate if you pay attention. So notice the feedback your body gives you when you eat specific cuisines. Do you get sleepy, does your tongue get sore and bumpy, or does your head have a dull ache after you eat certain foods? Notice, record, and look for patterns. Your body’s always talking to you so heed the guidance it is giving you and follow it toward health.
- Eat mindfully.When you eat, pay attention to your mental and emotional state. Stress interferes with your ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. Give the TV, the newspaper and negativity a time-out.
- Show gratitude for your food.The Buddhists have a practice of the "Five Contemplations While Eating". Before eating they acknowledge where the food came from, the people and work it took to grow the food, transport it, cook it and serve it.
- Celebrate the ritual of eating.
Make your plate attractive, set a nice table, and enjoy the pleasure of dining. Even if you're alone there's no reason to eat out of a to-go carton standing up in the kitchen.
- Eat regularly. This is a great way to honor yourself and help shed some pounds. Erratic eating trains the body to hold onto extra as a survival mechanism.
- Listen to your body.
Chew slowly. Start shrinking your portions. Let your body know that you'll pay attention to its signals of hunger and fullness. Give yourself twenty-minutes before you go back for that second helping. You'll be surprised how much extra energy you'll have if you eat smaller portions, more often.
Here’s a handy guide for you to cut out and use as a reminder.
7 Tips to Boost Your Health & Happiness Through Intentional Cuisine
- Eat a rainbow of color.
- Give your body what it needs.
- Eat mindfully.
- Show gratitude for your food.
- Celebrate the ritual of eating.
- Eat regularly.
- Listen to your body.
Donna Burick
Desire a results-oriented holistic solution? Do you yearn to: Create more balance in your life? Stop feeling so exhausted: Uncover your life's passion; Attain clarity about what's next for you; Revive your relationships; Craft a deeper spiritual connection; Access a place of health & happiness? Donna can guide you from here to there, call for your free 15-minute phone consultation and discover a different approach, 336.540.0088. Office in Greensboro or phone sessions available.
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