It is extremely rare that I say there is one thing that will guarantee successful weight loss because we are all so unique and what we believe tends to have a great effect on the results we get (placebo effect.) But there is one thing that will guarantee a body free from an unhealthy lifestyle and body:
Eating with love.
Love your body and respect it's needs and you will find wellness. When we over-eat, binge and mindlessly consume unhealthy foods we are ignoring the fact that we are choosing to do long-term harm to our bodies for a momentary burst of shallow gratification. My mentor called it following the appetite of the mind instead of the true appetite of the body. When you were a baby you finished eating when your body was full. End of story. Later you may have learned to ignore the signals from the body, training yourself into unnatural behaviors.
Why is that hard to eat with love? When under stress we put other things in front of the love for ourselves (mind and body.) Sure, some people grow up in families and environments that make it extremely difficult to know what is healthy for the mind and body or to be inspired to be healthy, but to change your family or leave where you are and what you do is usually an exercise in futility. Change that starts from within is the only change you can control. Only you can choose to say NO when it is not time to eat and you are not truly hungry.
Loving yourself is tough for many people. Past experiences, insecurities and marketing campaigns aiming to associate joy and happiness with a product are some of the major causes. We search for love outside of ourselves and that is a gamble that will rarely pay-off. But there is a way.
Learn to ask, "How do I know this?" The next time you find yourself going to the fridge late at night to fill the unknowable void that tickles your taste buds. Ask the question, "How do I know that I need to eat right now?" This is a sure way to distinguish between the appetite of the mind and the true appetite of the body. Warning: The truth share set you free, but first it may piss you off greatly. Prepare to combat demons by pulling out your "love sword" for battle. OK, that was going a little too far and perhaps a better term could be used but you get the point. You are worth the battle… fight for your life!
Add neuro-physiology to your arsenal and you have a bullet-proof battle plan. What is neuro-physiology? The mind-body connection. Next time you are heading to chow down on a fast food bomb, STOP - BREATHE - ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS BACK - SMILE and ask the all-mightly question again. It is impossible to be angry, frustrated, overwhelmed, bored or whatever leads to the unhealthy behavior when your physiology is the same as when you are triumphant and passionate. I dare you to try proving me wrong!
OK health nuts, if you have a challenge with loving your body, then you may be looking directly at your roadblock to natural health. This is not greed or selfishness. Self preservation is a good thing; how can you protect those you care about when your body cannot perform, you are dead or at the very least insecure about your greatness? Not preserving your own health is the true form of selfishness. Why do you think that in an emergency the flight attendant tells you to fasten your own oxygen mask to your own face BEFORE you try and help someone else?
Here are the "how to eat specifics" that have worked for me and all who apply them:
-Eat slowly and be conscious of what you are eating. Being mentally aware of the tastes, textures and other nuances has been proven to promote eating less and enjoying it more.
-Prepare your own food. This shows that you care about your body and also stimulates the body to prepare for the meal, digest it better and as in the example above, be satisfied with less.
-Eat only during meal times (breakfast, lunch and dinner.) Hungry in between? Either you are not eating enough during meal-times or the appetite of the mind is active. If so, apply neuro-physiology and ask the almighty question.
-Flush the body with water and real lemon juice between meals. This improves the Ph levels in the body and is a hunger buster.
-Eat for the appetite of the body 6 days of the week and choose a consistent 7th day for adding the appetite of the mind in to the mix. You are human and you deserve it. The brain needs it! Eat healthy and add whatever comfort foods you desire! Your body at that point will happily deal with the excess and imbalance.
What to eat is is a unique learning adventure for each person to take, involves many variables and is beyond the scope of this article. Eat with love to change your body and keep the changes.
Wellness to you,
Rory.
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