1. Remember that food is medicine and plays one of the most significant roles on your healing and wellness journey. Every time you eat be conscious and aware of this sacred relationship between food and body and notice how simply connecting to the power of food can begin to change your health.
2. Go slow. Changing your diet takes time, forethought and preparation. Don't expect yourself to be perfect and change everything all at once. Commit to what you know you can be successful at. Start with one meal, 1 snack and build from there. And always acknowledge your successes.
3. Listen to your body! If you happen to eat something you "shouldn't," don't panic! Your body will give you physical, mental or emotional feedback to let you know how that meal made you feel. Take note of the symptoms and simply flush your system with lots of water and lemon to bring yourself back to balance.
4. Eat slowly! What we eat is only half of the equation. How we eat and who is showing up to the table is the other half of the nutritional equation. Eating slowly, being present with your meal, taking time to eat and experiencing your meal with all of your senses increases your digestive and metabolic power.
5. Take time and go to a health food store to purchase the therapeutic and superfoods you may not find at your regular grocery store. Community Natural Foods, Blush Lane, Amaranth, Planet Organic and The Light Cellar are amazing places to shop at. Enjoy the experience of shopping in a new store ask for help finding things and if you are overwhelmed I offer Grocery Shopping Trips to help you navigate this new world of foods you may not be familiar with.
6. No matter what, eat whole colorful natural food – protein, essential fats, vegetables, fruits and if permitted whole gluten-free grains. Ditch all the processed, refined, packaged, junk food.
7. Remember that your nutritional journey goes through phases. You may begin with a therapeutic phase to help heal, restore and reset your body. Seasonal phases will guide you to change your diet and food choices with each season. You may find yourself feeling really good with just eating clean whole food and stay in a maintenance phase for a while. Experimental phases are always fun if you want to try a new way of eating, new foods or elimination of foods. Just as your life ebbs and flows, so too will your nutritional choices. Acknowledge the phase you are in and trust it.
8. Trust your body! We are inundated with nutritional messages, gimmicks, fads, beliefs and promises. It is overwhelming out there in the nutritional world! The greatest nutritionist (other than me of course!) is your body wisdom. Listen and trust what your body is asking for, what it feels best eating, what gives you the best energy and go with that even if it goes against the latest nutritional trend. Trust yourself.
9. Give up perfection. If you expect yourself to follow a perfect diet and way of eating, expect to fail. Be moderate, find balance and don’t set yourself up with unrealistic goals.
10. Whatever you eat, do it with love and gratitude, pleasure and joy!
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