I know that a lot of people hate the phrase, “food is fuel.” It is a rather dry statement to make, especially when I also believe that food is delicious and delightful. Despite how delicious and delightful food is, however, it is still what our body considers fuel. If you don’t eat, your body will cease to function. I’m not writing this blog to tell you that you can never eat certain things again, because I don’t believe in that mindset when it comes to choosing the foods that go inside of our bodies. I am writing this blog to remind you that quality of fuel is essential to feel your best.
There is no magic formula as to which foods are best for you. Sure, you can find 10,000 articles online about which foods are high in which vitamins, which are good for heart health, which are good for those battling diabetes, etc., but we are not all fighting the same battles, nor do our bodies all function in the same way 100%. Depending on someone’s vitamin deficiency, chronic illness, energy output, etc., their needs will vary.
That being said, there are some generic truths such as:
– Too much sugar can cause chronic illness
– Too much alcohol can kill our internal organs
– Too much trans fatty foods can increase our cholesterol and cause heart disease
– Etc (I won’t go on because I’m sure you’ve heard it 10,000 times)
I believe in “mindful eating.” Most people are aware of how food effects them. For most people it shows up in the form of heart burn and gas when a food we eat doesn’t settle well in our digestive track. Other people may experience physical symptoms such as brain fog, irritability, sleep interruption, mood swings, headaches, dehydration, and any number of other things. What you eat is far more connected to how you feel that a lot of people may realize. I’m not telling you to go on any specific diet, but I am telling you to be aware of how things make you feel. If it makes you feel like shit, maybe don’t consume it as a regular thing?
For example… if I eat too much sugar I’ll get headaches and a “sugar hangover” (not all that different from how an alcohol hangover feels, really). If I eat too many bananas I get stomach cramping. If I drink too much alcohol I get really dehydrated, not to mention the night sweats. If I eat too much “junk food” (like chips, and whatnot) I’m usually quite irritable, and also really brain foggy and fatigued.
If you aren’t feeling good as a regular thing, it may be time to overhaul what you are eating. Sure, it’s hard to break habits and form new ones. I find that keeping a food journey really helps. In that journal I recommend not only writing down what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat… but take note of how you feel immediately afterwards, within an hour, and within a few hours. Note when you have digestive track upset, brain fog, mood swings, fatigue, heart burn, or any number of others symptoms that could be connected to what you eat. If it makes you feel bad, eat it less. If you it makes you feel good and function better, eat it more.
Need a guide to follow for Food Journaling? Download one that I made up here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1syj_ZuvEWWsXxOeIDwOqjYUPdCGEWh-A/view?usp=sharing
What it all boils down to is this – I want you to feel good, but I also want you to educate yourself and be able to make choices for yourself based on how you want to FEEL.
