May 20th, 2008
Volume 1, Issue 11
I just love to eat!
Really, I do.
I can't say for sure when my love affair with food started but I'm sure it had something to do with family gatherings all throughout my childhood and into my adult life.
What made it even better though is that I learned how to cook and bake. I would wait patiently as the adults in my family made their delicious concoctions so that I could finally taste them, etching the flavors and textures in my mouth and my brain for future reference. I knew that one day I, too, would be able to create foods like these.
We always ate well. I'm not saying it was "Surf & Turf" every night or caviar every Saturday night, but we ate well in the sense that we were never sent to bed hungry or underfed.
I consider myself very lucky because of that.
Why do I mention this now, especially after all the goal-setting and priority talk?
I have a very simple answer.
To live well, you need to eat well as well as to eat well, you need to live well.
Have I confused you yet?
It's really much simpler than the words imply.
Food is one of our most basic necessities. We cannot survive, for long, without it. You NEED food to live. Period.
Many of our health concerns relate directly back to food.
Diabetes is a question of the hormone insulin- too much or not enough of this hormone- and insulin relates to our blood sugar levels. Blood sugar relates directly back to our food.
Hypercholesterolemia, or high blood cholesterol, relates to the build-up of fatty or waxy plaque in the arteries and vessels in the body. For most of us, the overabundance of fatty foods for too long can affect our cholesterol levels. For the rest of us, we don't need the fatty foods since there is a genetic predisposition already present. How lucky can we all get?!
For this reason and many others, I repeat:
You need to eat well to live well.
If you are looking to make positive changes in your life, especially around your health, your body weight, shape or composition, you need to pay attention to how and what you eat.
You need to eat well.
Let me try it another way.
You are planning on re-doing a room in your home.
You take the time to pick out new furniture, new wall colors, new floors, etc. but you just don't feel like fixing the leaky pipes from the bathroom or apartment above your room. From the outside looking in, the new room is beautiful BUT what happens when the pipes leak?
All of your hard work is washed away.
Gone.
Bye bye.
The exact same concept applies to your body and to any and all changes that you are making, plan on making or hoping to make.
There is no disconnect here, ever.
Lasting change takes time and getting your food and eating straight is going to be huge for getting those changes to hang around for the rest of your life.
It is totally possible and easier than you think.
Here is my little cheat sheet, just for you!
Top 7 Steps to Eating Better, Today!
1. Eat the best food you can. I'm not talking about going all out organic because sometimes, it can get too expensive. Do the best you can. Your body will thank you.
2. Eat as locally as you can. Spend some time in your local Farmer's Markets. Not only will your fruits, vegetables, eggs and cheeses be fresher, but they will also have travelled a shorter distance to get to you. Chances are that will relate to less pricey produce for you.
3. Eat Seasonally when possible. My favorite way of deciding what to pick up when it comes to fruits and veggies is to see what is on sale at the market. Usually the produce that is in season will be the most abundant. Good for you, bad for the Market. They need to get rid of it before it turns. Take advantage of it!
4. Eat without distractions. Really! No t.v., no telephones, no computer. Focus on enjoying your food and enjoying the people you are eating with, even if you're eating alone.
5. Eat what & when your body wants to eat, not what & when your brain or heart want you to eat. Make the distinction between eating because you're hungry versus being sad, angry, bored or tired. Take 15 minutes before stress eating. Drink a glass of water, play with your children or pets. Distract yourself from food. If you're still hungry, then eat.
6. Eat your fruits & Vegetables. You can never go wrong with eating your fruits and veggies. The Spring & Summer are perfect times to experiment with ripe, delicious fruits as the Fall & Winter are great times to experiment with the seasonal, abundant greens and root vegetables.
7. Drink lots of pure, clean water. I specify water. Our organs need plenty of water to function and especially to flush out any toxins or waste products. Do yourself a favor, have some right now.
Makes sense? Eating well is easier than we make it.
Your homework:
Take just one of the above steps and put it into practice this week. See the difference it makes in your body.
Be well. : )
(c) Annette Nack, Bee Balanced Health & Wellness
This article was first published May 20th, 2008
