Food: It's more than just fuel
Think back to the last time you prepared a healthy home-cooked meal. Maybe the last time you indulged and ate a burger and fries or your favourite sweet treat. Were you stressed, tired, and angry? Were you well-rested and stress-free? Food is fuel for our bodies but our decisions about what to eat are often dictated by much more than simply what fuels our bodies best. We eat for emotional reasons too – these are quite often what drive our food choices. Whether it be an exciting celebration or a tough time, our emotions can play a huge role in what we consume.
I have begun to get my clients to track not only food but a lot of other aspects of their lives. That way they can more easily understand how their food choices influence other things in life and vice versa. If you’re interested in becoming more in tune with your body, here are a few simple things you can start tracking:
Hours slept
Amount of water consumed
Mood on a scale of 1-5
Stress on a scale of 1-5
Exercise
Once you have done this for a week, take a moment to analyze your decisions. On a day where you had less sleep and skipped your workout due to being stressed at work, you may find that your food choices were less than optimal because you had to eat out and choose a fast option.
People often ask me what the best things are to eat to look and feel their best. Everyone’s body is different and the first step into understanding your body is to track the above components. More often than not, you will find out what makes you feel your best, to keep you on track to be less stressed, improve your mood and move more.
Nutrition does not always have to be a fancy (usually failed) diet. It is about being mindful and listening to how your body feels before, during, and after a meal to know what you need.
I am excited to share this concept with our Fall Reset group that kicks off this Sunday! Health is more than just an hour long workout every day. So many factors play a role in being your best self. By taking a holistic approach like the one mentioned above, we remind ourselves that all the different aspects of our lives are connected and linked to each other. A simple decision to pack workout clothes in the morning for a lunchtime workout may affect a decision later in the day about what to eat for dinner.
Putting it all together can sometimes be overwhelming, but there are a few simple things you can do to make being your best self more manageable. Eat whole foods often. Sleep lots. Drink water. Move every day. Do fun things to feel good. Find ways to reduce stress. This may look different to each one of us but being your best doesn’t have to be so complicated. Give it a try!
Yours in self-discovery,
Rachel