“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” ~ Adelle Davis
Awesome. Now that you have decided to adopt the mindset of an Olympic athlete it is time to nourish, train and strengthen your body, your temple.
When you are consciously aware of what you are eating, you can consciously choose to change it. There are so many confusing messages, marketing hype and fad diets, and depriving yourself is not the answer. Life is about pleasure and, believe me, there is nothing pleasurable about dieting! As I’ve said before, get off the diet treadmill and make a promise to yourself right now to stop harming your body with fad diets. Instead become consciously aware of the food you are choosing to eat.
The best way to gain awareness about the type of food you are consuming on a daily basis is by keeping a nutritional journal or food diary. This will encourage you to develop a healthy relationship with the food you eat. By recording every bite you eat in a journal, you will get an exact overview of what types of foods you consume on a daily basis. The longer you catalogue your food consumption, the more you will see patterns emerge.
Start keeping a journal today. Conscious awareness of what you are eating, how much and when, then identifying the triggers motivating you to eat are the first steps in changing unhealthy eating habits. For example: If you notice that you snack on unhealthy food every day around 3pm, you may choose to defeat that urge by distracting yourself with an outdoor activity like a long walk, or replacing your unhealthy snack with a serving of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Okay, let’s go back to basics. For survival, the human body needs:
¥ Nutrients for energy and cell building (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins & minerals)
¥ Oxygen for chemical reactions
¥ Water which equates to 60-80% of our body weight and provides for metabolic reactions
¥ Stable body temperature (37°C or 98°F)
¥ Appropriate atmospheric pressure to support breathing and oxygen / carbon dioxide exchange
At this point, I will assume that the atmospheric pressure where you live is of no consequence, you have abundant oxygen, water and stable body temperature. That said, many chronic diseases are linked to poor nutrition. Heart disease, hypertension, cancer, gallstones, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, depression, stroke and obesity, to name a few, are all connected to what you put in your mouth.
So, if you have access to healthy food and you are responsible for what you eat, you have the power to choose good nutrition. The message is simple – eat to nourish your body NOT to lose weight and give your body the best possible defence against illness! And remember, healthy eating is fundamental to a healthy life, full of energy and vitality. The life you truly deserve to live!
