So….you want to lose weight? Well…you’ve got to change your mind first!

Over these years (and years) of thinking about weight issues, studying nutrition, food, body image and diets….I have met many people who are unhappy with their weight. And I was often amongst them.

Then, I changed my lifestyle and my diet…a few years later I started incorporating fasting into my regimen as well and the rest is history. Or is it?

Since then I have found my biggest struggle is still with these patterns, habits and tendencies – that all exist in my mind! Our minds really are the majority when it comes to overcoming any negative patterns in an effort to create new ones.

Of course, as a Clinical Nutritionist, I also know that each cell in my body contributes to my overall mind (mood, emotions, intuition, thoughts etc.). Everything works together inside and outside – with each system and function forwarding something towards the whole being….

My gut is as much involved with creating my thoughts as my brain is. And this includes what I think about my body, my food – and especially 'what I am thinking (about my body/food) when I am eating it'.

Fasting has allowed me to explore my mind (through my body) in a new and realistic way. By going into these new places and spaces, I have found and made the deeper connections to weight, body image, eating and food.

If I have found out anything over these past few years….it’s this; to lose weight permanently, you have to re-build your mind from the inside out. This entails diet changes (food, fast and feast), exercise, emotional work (getting at the patterns) and for me, making the important spiritual connections with the food I eat.

Not one part of this is complicated, in fact having food days, fasting days and feast days has made my life so much simpler and easy to manage. It also allows me to have control over my mind (approach to food) in a new way.

Changing your mind about food involves eating the foods that assist in this process as well….we need to choose (and make) food that not only nourish our bodies, but also help to reset our body metabolism.

I have found many of these to be fermented foods as well as quality proteins…and for me, my diet consists of homemade, home grown, free range, wild harvested and organic produce as much as possible.

You are so much more then what you eat….you are the energy of the food you eat. Change that energy to something better (raise the vibration) and you do the same with your body and your mind.

April

 

Moods, Disconnect and Cooking

Every day I give a lot of thought to food and nearly every aspect of eating. Lately my thoughts have been once again turing towards the nature of our spiritual connection with food and what has happened to it. 

For the most part, what I see from others and indeed for part of my life, has been more of a love/hate relationship with eating. Of course, this is mainly due to a lack of connection which originates from eating the wrong types of foods. 

This disconnect causes many of our modern day problems with disordered eating, obesity, choosing the wrong types of food and worst of all - disinterest in our bodies need for nourishment. This in itself, can cause various emotions and issues to rise up in us.

Sometimes I will have an over whelming feeling or sense of confusion around food, cooking and what to eat -almost as if I no longer care or can't quite see the point of paying attention. I have come to recognize this as energy influence not coming from me, because it is very easy to break through it. 

But, what does this feel like? Generally as if you are in a slight daze where eating and food is concerned. That's one part of it. The other more significant issue here is the negative thinking around eating, cooking, food - and what it might do to your body.

In many instances, food has become the enemy. All food, all eating, all meals and anything to do with concepts and subject around food have been demonized into a battle of weight, body image and fear.

The fear is a vicious circle because you are afraid to eat, afraid to gain weight, afraid to eat too much, afraid of losing control, afraid of each and every morsel that you might put into your mouth because --- of what?

Where on earth does these thoughts and this thinking come from? How have we become so distanced from our food, disconnected from the sanctity and ritual of preparing, cooking, eating and sharing meals together - it no longer has any spiritual relevance whatsoever.

Fear is the great separator, a divider of body, mind and soul. If the connection has been lost between nourishment and body, trust and faith in our physical needs, functions and desires has also been severed. If we cannot trust our bodies to gain from the foods we are eating as well as have clarity in mind and spirit - fear creeps in.

So where does this come from? 

There seems to be one main origin of this disconnect - processed and toxic food choices. Once we start on the road towards eating mindlessly, needlessly and without purpose from the array of dead foods on offer - what else can we expect, except that part of us gets pulled down to this low level?

Is it any wonder we have so many people with dark moods, feeling unhappy or depressed, uninterested and worse, all due to being stuck in the cycle of eating processed food (sugar, caffeine, rubbish), feeling awful, then eating more to try feeling better and slowly sinking down into this wasteland. 

Once you begin the process of digging yourself up and out of this hole, towards the light of better, more nourishing meals, you can re-build this bridge back to a healthy spiritual connection with your food. All your food, water and intake then becomes a joy and something worth celebrating - because your body feels loved, nourished and whole. 

Next time you feel as if you are mindlessly moving through your day, unsure of what to eat and unable to make a decision about your food - start with an apple. Clear your mind and recognize this energy for what it is - the result of poor food the day before.

Change your food - change your mind - find your soul

Have  a healthy day,

April