Those are two of my FAVORITE topics! How fitting to put them together on this lovely Friday. I hope you are enjoying being you today.
Today I’m looking at one way to enjoy “being you” even more. And it’s easy; it’s something you can choose for yourself! It has to do with listening to yourself, or what I think of as tapping into your body’s wisdom.
There are always going to be contradictory consensuses- consensi? ;) on what is healthy, and which foods are best to eat and best to avoid. For example, coffee, soy products, nuts and eggs are things that have dual sided arguments or that have gone in and out of favor over the decades. My great-aunt Danny said it best, and emphatically, years ago: “Eggs are in, eggs are out! I don’t listen to any of that hogwash. Moderation!!”
The more I learn, I tend to agree with her. For the most part, I believe that the important thing to learn is to listen to your body. Do you feel better overall when you eat certain things on a regular basis? Does dairy make you feel mucusy and indigestive or satiated and energized? Does your morning go better when you include something with whole grain, or something with eggs, or something with caffeine? These things aren’t the same for everyone- but luckily you can just ask your body what those answers are for YOU.
Sometimes I think, when choosing foods, a good way to look at it is as a producer of long term happiness. Not just while you are eating it- especially not just that. But real, long term happiness with your health, your energy levels, the way your body feels to live in and move in, and importantly, your ability to do and be and wear and enjoy all the things you desire to do, be, wear, and enjoy!
Maybe for a few days or even just the next few meals, take a moment before choosing what you put in your body to do a brief check to see if what you are choosing leads to long-term happiness. To see if your choice moves you towards health, strength, confidence, energy, and ability.
I am admittedly a large Biggest Loser fan, and I was hearing a commercial that trainer Bob Harper did for an oatmeal product. What I really loved about it was the tag line. “Does your breakfast make you amazing?” Oatmeal or not, my encouragement for today is for you to ask yourself if YOUR breakfast makes you amazing. Does it enable you to continue on with your day energized, not depleted or crashing later? Of course this logic continues for any eating, not just breakfast. Because you deserve to enjoy being your amazing self all day long!
