Mindful Eating - Empowered Living

Why we have to eat healthy is a profound issue globally, where ailments and disorders are taking a toll on big population all over the world. Don’t you think is high time people take a look at this with due diligence?

“Many people are not aware of how large of an effect their diet has on their state of being.Your physiological health is literally the platform for your consciousness. The Neuro-transmitters and hormones responsible for your moods and state of being are directly correspondent to your nutritional intake, as well as the level of toxins that are present in your system. You are what you eat and if you’re eating dead chemical filled junk, you will feel like dead chemical filled junk…” -Patrick Haize

We live in a fast-paced society and we want someone to tell us what is the best food for us, interestingly the reality is that though we have access to this information, there is no one diet that fits all. There may be a few, but most have little education in nutrition and the information we may have received about what we “should” be eating may be biased by underlying vested business interests.

While our average weight is going up, the range of diets being recommended is expanding faster than people’s waistlines 🙂!

Each person is different in many ways. There are clear differences dictated by our own genetic makeup and there are also other factors to be considered like: age, activity, climate, season, the moon phases.

There are so many things that influence our food choices every day, the only problem is that we do it unconsciously. We let our emotional and nervous eating, our addictions, our “traditions” make those important choices for us, instead of truly listening to what we need.

The great intelligence that is driving this life is expressed in every cell of our bodies. In order to be able to listen to what our bodies are telling us there are a few necessary steps.

The first and important step would be to understand the importance of minimum food education: related to food group combinations, related to macronutrients and micronutrients, proper hydration, food processing - become aware of over processed food, also being informed about the dangerous chemicals added to the foods. The foods we consume have a dramatic impact on our memory, attention span and moods.

Developing our awareness is the only way we are empowered to make the right food choices.

Second important step is to cleanse your body from inside out at least couple of times a year. We accumulate so many toxins from the food we eat, from our environment, from our cleaning, makeup and body care products, from toxic stress.

All of this has a huge impact on the body. Imagine you did not shower for a year how would you feel!!

This is exactly the same, just because we do not see it, that does not mean we should not clean it! There are many great teachers, nutritionists that can provide the tools on how to do that with great cleaning and detox protocols like David Wolfe, Gabriel Cousens and many more.

Another important aspect is the ability to listen our bodies, to become quieter, more “in tune” with our bodies. There are many ways to do this. Mindfulness, meditation and yoga represent just a few. The real important thing here is to become aware how your body responds in relation to food and to assume responsibility to tune into the needs of the body and the effect certain foods have on your health. 

You don’t believe me? I humbly request you to please experience it for yourself and take a note of how you feel.
How fast do you digest your food?
Do you feel more energetic or not?
How is your mood impacted?  
What kind of thought pattern do you have around food?

These are a few questions to get you started to become more observant to what is happening in your body.

It is not all about what you eat, it is also about how you eat. The digestive process starts before the food even touched your mouth because we use the smell to command particular digestive enzymes to activate.

Also, we should be chewing at least 21 times before swallowing. “Chewing breaks your food down from large particles into smaller particles that are more easily digested. This also makes it easier for your intestines to absorb nutrients and energy from the food particles as they pass through, while also preventing improperly digested food from entering your blood and causing a wide range of adverse effects to your health.” Dr Mercola

“Chew your drink and drink your food!” -Mahatma Gandhi

We eat our meals while working, driving, or walking, so we barely even taste our food. 

Many of us also have a complex relationship with food. Some people eat to self-soothe, so they over-consume even when they’re not hungry. Others are on perpetual diets, so eating is an activity filled with stress, guilt and shame.

The problem is our relationship with food. And we can improve that relationship through mindful eating. 

The best part of this is that we get to experiment with our bodies, just remember that once we realise that we have our health and wellbeing in our hand, we have to assume responsibility for our choices. Our bodies are our temples. We are not eating only for healing and prevention, we have the incredible possibility to use this body to reach peak performance both in physical and mental capacities.

So, to surmise, eating is not just about eating but consciously experimenting and finding out what suits for one’s body, along with certain common rules.
And this topic is a teaser necessary for the pre-requisite thought process for a person, but please keep checking for more in-depth topics, from me, on different diet plans. Blessings!

 

A.C.B.