The Missing Peace: Four Ways to Restore Harmony with Your Body and Food
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD.
Imagine a vast ocean in the middle of a violent storm. The wind is fierce and unforgiving and giant waves are crashing down as far as the eye can see. As you observe the storm, one thing is certain: you have no idea when it will end.
Now imagine you muster up the courage to approach the sea and swim out to ride the waves. Just as they are about to swallow you up, you dive to the bottom.
Standing on the ocean floor you notice an unusual calmness in total opposition to the chaos above. Yes, in the midst of mayhem, peace is attainable.
Those turbulent waves bear a close resemblance to life, don’t they? Our fears, worries, doubts, insecurities, and struggles can feel so overwhelming at times that we become blind to the peace that is patiently waiting for us, much like the serenity of the ocean floor.
Lessons to Learn
I have personal experience with this. In my early twenties I struggled through a 3-year battle with binge eating disorder. Food was all I thought about. It wasn’t until, by some good fortune, I slowly became aware of the self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that were keeping me imprisoned and enslaved by food.
I’d like to share four of the most helpful lessons I learned on my journey to making peace with my body and food, in hopes that they will shine a light on what is possible for you when you open yourself up to the peace that is waiting for you.
Lesson 1: Lead with Love vs. Fear
“My body is a gift, a temple to be cherished.”
Fear is a powerful motivator. Some of the most motivated people I’ve met over the years were thrust into change at the hands of fear. Surviving a heart attack is one powerful example. People who have suffered through such a tragedy are forced to change their habits if they want to prevent another occurrence.
Yes, fear is an effective motivator, but the initial lifestyle changes are not always sustainable. Let’s face it, fear feels icky! And sometimes, it’s just not enough.
On the other hand, when we make choices from a place of love and reverence for our body and see it as the gift that it is, well, that feels good! That feels like a little bit of peace.
Did you know that your heart beats around 100,000 times in 24 hours to nourish your organs and sustain life? Have you ever given much thought to your liver? It filters over 250 gallons of blood each day. Without this intricate filtration system, you would die!
Now that deserves some love and respect! Who doesn’t want to do good things for someone they love?
Finding Peace: Hold yourself with care, just like you would a newborn infant. Babies are miracles on display. So loveable and precious. So full of life and promise. Guess what? So are you!
Lesson 2: Adopt an Abundance Mindset vs. a Scarcity Mindset
“Whatever I resist, persists.”
What happens when you forbid yourself from eating your favorite food? Do you forget about it or stop wanting it? No! The exact opposite happens. You become obsessed with the food and want it 100 times more.
Approaching food with a scarcity or restriction-based mindset makes us behave in peculiar ways because scarcity creates feelings of fear. It’s like a survival mechanism.
Don’t misunderstand me. Boundaries are important if we want to achieve better health, but we must go about it the right way.
Finding Peace: The key to making peace with food is to adopt a mindset of abundance. Rather than the foods you are trying to minimize, think about the foods you are adding in abundance without restrictions, like vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, and other Fx™-approved whole plant foods. Thoughts of plenty lead to feelings of inner peace. Test it out for yourself and notice the difference.
Lesson 3: Train your Body to Crave Healthy Food
“My body craves what I feed it most.”
Do you crave Brussels sprouts or double bacon cheeseburgers? Leafy green salads or potato chips? Blueberries or blueberry pie?
I have some good news that at first may not seem all that great, but stay with me.
The foods you currently crave aren’t an accident. You’ve trained your body to crave them. Now for the good news: if your cravings aren’t serving your health in positive ways (or are causing you to binge on them), all you have to do is change what you are putting in and your cravings will shift. It’s that simple.
It comes down to your body’s innate tendency towards resiliency, or its ability to spring back into shape when nourished well and treated with respect.
Finding Peace: Tap into your body’s inner resiliency! The Fx™ Pillars are the perfect way to help you shift your cravings to life-giving foods. Start with Fx™ Pillar 1: Eat Your Greens, then once you’ve mastered it, move on to Fx™ Pillar 2: Eat the Rainbow.
Lesson 4: Think Only Those Thoughts you Want to Multiply
“Whatever I focus on will increase in my life.”
If you think about food too much, food will take up more space in your mind than it deserves. You’ll start to obsess over it. You may even notice you’re thinking about dinner while you’re in the middle of lunch.
This phenomenon is one of the reasons I am not a fan of recording your food intake beyond the awareness-building stage. It’s helpful to know where you stand in terms of nutrition. That’s knowledge gained and can help you set worthy goals. But logging any more than this can backfire.
If you think about everything you dislike about your body, you’ll find more things to dislike.
When you obsess over a specific number on the scale, you’ll became a slave to that scale, and it will dictate the quality of your day.
I invite you instead, to think about the things you want to increase in your life. Could you use more of any of the following?
- Faith
- Peace
- Self-acceptance
- Health
- Positive relationships
- Positive thoughts
- Faith (not a typo)
If so, turn your attention toward these things.
Finding Peace: Allow food to take up only a little space in your thoughts, then turn your attention to those things you want to increase in your life.
Key Takeaway
All it takes is a slight shift in your thoughts and actions to discover the peace that is resting patiently inside of you.
