What is
the first thing you think of when you hear the term self-care?
the first thing you think of when you hear the term self-care?
I think about a spa day.
To be pampered all day long sounds absolutely wonderful to me, and does
not happen nearly enough!
To be pampered all day long sounds absolutely wonderful to me, and does
not happen nearly enough!
What if I told you that self-care really starts with how you
treat your body?
treat your body?
How much sleep are you getting each night? Are you burning the candle at both ends? Are you drinking enough water? How many glasses do you drink in a day? What are you feeding your body?
The first
place to start with self-care is how you treat your body.
place to start with self-care is how you treat your body.
As a mom of three little ones, I often feel like all I do is
cook for my kids. They are constantly
hungry, and what they liked two days ago is no longer appealing to them. Now, I don’t want to debate how to feed your
kids, but I do want you to think about that in relation to how you feed
yourself.
cook for my kids. They are constantly
hungry, and what they liked two days ago is no longer appealing to them. Now, I don’t want to debate how to feed your
kids, but I do want you to think about that in relation to how you feed
yourself.
For me, I want to make sure that my kids are eating the best
food possible to fuel their growing bodies.
I want them to be having green smoothies every day, I want them to eat
lots of veggies and whole grains, lots of fruits and beans.
food possible to fuel their growing bodies.
I want them to be having green smoothies every day, I want them to eat
lots of veggies and whole grains, lots of fruits and beans.
But what am I eating?
I often spend so much time trying to make sure everyone else
has what they need; I forget to make sure I get what I need.
has what they need; I forget to make sure I get what I need.
I realized a couple years ago that I needed to start
listening to my body more; to see whether there was a correlation to the foods
I was eating, and how I was feeling.
listening to my body more; to see whether there was a correlation to the foods
I was eating, and how I was feeling.
I would get headaches pretty much every day. I knew that I had jaw issues in college,
clenching my jaw at night. I got a night
guard and that helped, but I was still getting headaches a lot, more than
normal. I figured that I would just
continue taking ibuprofen and keep going on with my life.
clenching my jaw at night. I got a night
guard and that helped, but I was still getting headaches a lot, more than
normal. I figured that I would just
continue taking ibuprofen and keep going on with my life.
Then when I had Emma, I realized she was fussy when I would
eat cheese and nurse her, so I cut out cheese from my diet. My headaches subsided, but I didn’t make the
connection.
eat cheese and nurse her, so I cut out cheese from my diet. My headaches subsided, but I didn’t make the
connection.
After I stopped nursing Emma I started eating a lot of
cheese again, and the headaches came back with a vengeance. I then made the conscious choice to cut all
dairy, and what do you know, the headaches went away.
cheese again, and the headaches came back with a vengeance. I then made the conscious choice to cut all
dairy, and what do you know, the headaches went away.
Now, I am not saying I don’t occasionally eat cheese,
because I do. But, I go into it knowing
that I am most likely not going to feel well afterwards, so I don’t do it
often.
because I do. But, I go into it knowing
that I am most likely not going to feel well afterwards, so I don’t do it
often.
What if we all take the time to listen to our bodies to find
out what we need?
out what we need?
When you are concentrating on self-care, you need to think
about the foods that you are eating. I
know that I don’t want to feed myself unhealthy food, although there are times
that is inevitable due to being busy, someone being sick, whatever the reason,
it happens. But, if we are cognizant of
it, we can make adjustments later on.
about the foods that you are eating. I
know that I don’t want to feed myself unhealthy food, although there are times
that is inevitable due to being busy, someone being sick, whatever the reason,
it happens. But, if we are cognizant of
it, we can make adjustments later on.
I love what Michael Pollan says “Eat food. Not too much.
Mostly Plants.”
Mostly Plants.”
This is great advice.
You want to feed your body nourishing food, food that will fuel your
body and mind. Food that makes you feel
good.
You want to feed your body nourishing food, food that will fuel your
body and mind. Food that makes you feel
good.
That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t have sweets, or snacks,
or take entire food groups out of your diet, but if you are listening to your
body, you will be able to figure out what foods make you feel the best. Listening to your body you will know when it
is time to take a break from meat for a while, or when you really need a good
piece of Alaskan salmon for dinner. You
will be able to tell if you are eating too much dairy, or if you need more
greens in your life.
or take entire food groups out of your diet, but if you are listening to your
body, you will be able to figure out what foods make you feel the best. Listening to your body you will know when it
is time to take a break from meat for a while, or when you really need a good
piece of Alaskan salmon for dinner. You
will be able to tell if you are eating too much dairy, or if you need more
greens in your life.
If you haven’t ever kept track of your food and how you feel
while eating those foods, I want to challenge you to start tracking that. Grab a small spiral notebook and start
journaling your food intake. Make sure
you write how you feel after your meals, how much water you are drinking, if
there are different foods that you are trying.
while eating those foods, I want to challenge you to start tracking that. Grab a small spiral notebook and start
journaling your food intake. Make sure
you write how you feel after your meals, how much water you are drinking, if
there are different foods that you are trying.
I know that when I started journaling my food and water
intake, it opened up an entire world to me of how my body reacts to certain
foods, what makes me feel better.
intake, it opened up an entire world to me of how my body reacts to certain
foods, what makes me feel better.
This is an important part of self-care, so don’t skip
it. Try it, at least for a week, and see
if you can make some connections to the foods you are eating and how you are
feeling. There is definitely something
to be said for the correlation of how well we are overall and how we are
fueling our bodies.
it. Try it, at least for a week, and see
if you can make some connections to the foods you are eating and how you are
feeling. There is definitely something
to be said for the correlation of how well we are overall and how we are
fueling our bodies.
Do you
keep a regular food journal? Have you
noticed any correlation to the foods you eat and different ways your body reacts
to those foods? What is your go-to
snack?
keep a regular food journal? Have you
noticed any correlation to the foods you eat and different ways your body reacts
to those foods? What is your go-to
snack?
I've got to figure out if something I'm eating is contributing to migraines. I haven't seen a pattern, but a food journal is a great idea.
This is such helpful advice. There are times when I do overlook or ignore what my body is telling me but as a family, we have been more determined to be healthier. I started getting frequent headaches and migraines when I was pregnant and then after. It really is important to listen!
Great reminder to listen to our bodies. It makes a huge difference in every aspect of your life. As always, those recipes look so good! 🙂 I'm craving that yummy soup right now!
I have been getting headaches a lot lately too and I've thought it might be tied to a poor diet. This is spurring me on to keep track of when they happen and what I ate — maybe in an evernote or something…. Found you on 31 days!
very good advice. I have learned most of this previously, but I need to get back to following the advice. I think many of us do not listen to our bodies at all. And most of us are dehydrated. Thanks for the reminder to pay attention to what my body it telling me.
It is so easy to fall back on old ways of treating your body. I aim for the 80/20 rule, hoping I get it pretty close to healthy for me 80% of the time and give myself leeway for the remaining 20%
I have jaw problems as well, from grinding my teeth at night, and a mouth guard helps, but I still have bouts of pain from it…but would have never thought that dairy could be a part of the problem! I will have to give this a try (because, at this point, I'm willing to try anything!). Because it really is true, that your body can go through vast changes based on what you do or do not put into it.
I'd love to know if removing dairy helps you!