It is increasingly important that we look at other ways to nourish our body, other than eating, both on and off our plate. How can we find energy in other ways? So often, women are eating to fill themselves up and feeling low in other areas of their life. When I talk about the body, I think of the body in terms of mind, body, and soul. We need to be giving the body what it needs in every aspect.
The training that I have had teaches that we have Primary Food and Secondary Food. Primary food has nothing to do with what you put in your mouth. It’s about how you feel in terms of your life. Secondary Food is actually what you will put on your plate. Our Secondary Food is dependent on the primary food in terms of how we are nourishing our minds and how we look after ourselves.
This is another reason why it is so important to look at our bodies as a holistic, living organism and that it needs nourishing in all ways, rather than just the physical aspect of food.
Love Yourself
One of the most important things, when it comes to food for life and for nourishing who you are, is LOVING YOURSELF.
How often, as women, do we beat ourselves up with a massive stick looking in the mirror and hating what we see. Chastising ourselves for the way we look, comparing ourselves to others, judging ourselves, and thinking we are not as good as other people can be at the very core of why we don’t have a good relationship with food. Feeling low within ourselves drives us to want to fill that space of hate and judgment with something else.
Self Love, Self Care, Self Nourishment is all going to be the key to unlocking and changing the way we think about food.
Women are nurturers, we are brilliant at taking care of other people, through ancestral messaging, we have been told that women are best recognized for the way they can look after others. We look after our children, our homes, our partners, our parents, our in-laws, and our community. But how often are we thinking about adding ourselves to that list?
Many women think that it is selfish of them to try and put themselves first, and I want you to know it is not!
Putting yourself first is going to ensure you are able to care for your family the way you want to. If your cup is empty you aren’t able to support your family to your fullest capacity. As women, we need to rearrange our thinking because caring for yourself is actually the most selfless thing you can do and help your family the most. Put YOU on your To-Do List.
Our self-talk is a crucial step in making this shift in your life. The thoughts that we have feed into every single cell through the hormones that are released in our body. Changing your thoughts about yourself to a positive mindset is the way to make the greatest impact. Try thinking instead, what do we love about our body? This can be a really hard place to start, but you can try starting with the little things.
“I’m happy I woke up this morning” “I love that my body breathes on my behalf.” “My body is releasing hormones to keep me well.”
Start noticing the things that we really appreciate about ourselves, and start to feed into your positivity rather than the negativity. This will have a massive impact on your primary food source, your energy and will lead to you feeling good.
Another necessary part of feeding your soul is to have fun! Go out and adventure, find your purpose and your passion again. Often the most commonly asked question is “Who am I?”
When we have been looking after our children for so many years, have been married for a long time, or doing a job for most of our life, we tend to lose sight of what actually brings us joy. Reconnect with what you love to do, how can you have fun again. How would you like to enjoy the company of your friends and family? Think about how you are fulfilling your purpose in life, and if you’re not, ask yourself what steps you could take to start moving towards that.
Feeling fulfilled off the plate, with energy and excitement, and feeling like we are getting up every day and living our purpose will prevent us from making food choices that fill us up in other ways.
Practicing gratitude is going to help you see how much you really do love life. Ignite yourself to start “feeling good” and practicing joy.
Ask yourself daily, “How can I be happy today?” “What will bring me joy today?” “Who do I love to be around?” “How can I spend time on me?” “What do I need?”
It can be something as little as a massage or bath, make yourself feel good. You’ll start to see that when your Primary Food source is full, you make better choices for the food on your plate.
The Food On Your Plate
Making good food choices is another aspect of your food for life. Carbohydrates have gotten such a bad rap and are really misunderstood these days. Feeding yourself is going to give your body energy, which is what your body is looking for. Carbohydrates are a group of food that provide quite a bit of fiber. These fibrous foods will be what you need to give your body sustained energy. Eating fruits and vegetables in their whole form, and avoiding anything processed will make your body feel good as well.
Work on giving your body all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and most importantly, the energy it needs. Your body will be energized by what you are putting in it and your mind and soul will start feeling more fulfilled as well. You’ll feel full in your heart and soul. Be full of love and you won’t be looking to fill up in other ways off the plate in terms of unhealthy food choices.
Need more help understanding your Primary Food source? Let’s talk about it. Take control and get your body’s needs met. This means not bouncing from diet to diet expecting results. Schedule a call with me here at a time that’s convenient for you, so we can really dive into how to feed your Primary Food Source. I look forward to hearing your story.
