BodyAwe

Nutritionists have told us for years to eat three square meals a day. It’s deeply ingrained in us to eat a protein-vegetable-starch meal. At schools and in the doctor’s office, this chart is on the wall.

This is the standard way to eat. If you follow the standard you will be tall, blonde, thin and rich, right?

Wrong! You have your own way of doing it, and you have the right to doing it your own way.

You may have already discovered what works for you. You just haven’t given yourself permission to relax around it and recognize that it serves you well.

You may already be grazing all day long, picking up fruits and vegetables here and there, and eating small meals that don’t necessarily feature heavy proteins.

You already know you like to eat light, unprocessed foods. So why are you telling yourself you have to do it their way? It’s because their way has become the standard.

No More Should’s!

This is the section of “no more shoulds!” The standard now, today, right here is you! It’s hard to get out of these entrenched ideas—and this is just one example. For a long time, people have believed that if you’re a smart human being, you follow the standard. Just do these things: three square meals a day and 30 to 60 minutes of exercise three times a week, and you’ll be healthy.

• Accept right now that your way is OK.
• Accept that you are already part of the way there.
• Accept that your style will get you where you want to go.

Your style has been expressing itself all along, whether or not you have been conscious of it or have acted on it. You already know it. When behaving according to your style, it brings joy. When behaving according to someone else’s style, struggles occur. Ironically, when things go smoothly, you don’t notice. However, you certainly pay attention during difficulties.

Whenever we struggle, it’s our body’s signal that we are not doing something in our own style. Relief, freedom and joy are the signal that you have hit upon something—the way to do it in your own style.

Eating is a pleasure. It’s a time to stop and taste life. It’s a way of communing with others sharing
your life with them. Savoring your food is a way to come awake in your body. It’s a way to thank your body, to be grateful in your aliveness.

Sometimes we forget this. We forget that it’s really so simple. Our pleasure with food depends on how it feels in the body. How does it taste in your mouth? How does it feel in your tummy? How does your body feel after you eat—is he/she nourished? Does he/she feel light or heavy? Does he/she feel guilty or lethargic or joyful and energized?

Your relationship with eating becomes easier when you are conscious of your body’s relationship with food. The heaviness or lightness you experience depends on the environment, the season, the weather, and the taste of the food itself. Pay attention to how your body experiences food in the moment. Do that one thing, and you’ll know what to eat—all the time, every day.

People are like cats and dogs. They will eat whatever food is put in front of them. We are quite used to being told what to eat and how much to eat. Whatever we are served—or whatever is handy—that’s what we eat. Holding the relationship with your body sacred means asking your body what he/she wants.

Share Tags: Eating Healthy, Uncategorized