8 Ways to Treat Eating as an Act of Self Love ♥

Follow the following tips to start treating yourself right and eating foods you love

Okay so you might not have thought about this before but did you know that eating can be a huge act of self love? The food you put into your body is setting the tone for your day, your vibe, your energy, your health, and everything to come so why shouldn't it be treated as an act of self-love? Have you ever just looked at a pie of pizza and ate like 4 slices, then had some dessert, maybe a soda, and sat back thinking what have I done?! Then you feel like crap the whole day. I'm not even kidding, that used to be me. I used to eat so horrible and I would always overdo it. I found out later that simply put...

If you don't take care of your body, your body won't take care of you.

8 Ways to Treat Eating as an Act of Self Love

Practice Mindful Eating

Many times we don't even really think about the food we're putting into our bodies, we just eat. The number one thing you can do to improve your health and treat eating as an act of self love is to notice what you are eating, how it makes you feel, how it affects you, knowing when to say yes or say no, and knowing when too much is too much. If you make it a habit to be mindful of all these things as you eat then you will be much more in tune with your body and what your body needs, which leads me to my next tip...

Listen to Your Body

Our bodies are always giving us cues of how we are feeling. Our bodies send us warnings when something isn't quite right and many times we ignore these cues because we are not in tune with our own bodies. The biggest example of this is a headache. Headaches are not just a normal part of everyday life. Headaches are the body's way of saying it needs something. The most common cause of headaches is not drinking enough water throughout the day or also mineral deficiency. If you learn to listen to your body, you can solve many of these common ailments. Your body had a very unique way of telling you what it needs when it needs it and it is very empowering once you start to master it.

Home-cook Your Own Meals

Cooking for yourself can be one of the best ways to love yourself. Haven't you ever wanted to be able to cook your own delicious meal? The more you learn to cook at home, the more meals you'll be able to add to your arsenal of favorites. Also, don't limit yourself to the same old foods and routines. Explore new foods and ways of eating. Take the time to explore new foods you've never tried and different ways of eating the ones you already love. 

Meal Prep Before You're Hungry

Don't ever wait until you are hungry to start cooking your meal. It's always a bad idea! When you are hungry, you are more likely to make poor food decisions and overeat. Take the time to prep yourself to cook your next meal or cook your next meal ahead of time so that you can simply and easily heat it up when you're ready. 

Leave the Junk Food Out of the House

A great rule of thumb is to leave junk food outside of your home. Your kitchen and pantry should be a sanctuary for healthy eating and not tempt you into overeating, overindulging, and feeling like crap about yourself. I'm not a big fan of putting restrictions on yourself so what I like about this rule of thumb is that if you create a safe haven in your kitchen for healthy meals then you have so much flexibility when you go out to eat to indulge in things you enjoy that you don't get to eat so often when you're at home. 

Feed Yourself the Way You Would a Loved One

Okay so I am the first one to admit that I feed my kids way healthier than I ever do myself. Since my twin boys have Autism and I treat them holistically with diet, their food is the most important on my list and I always put myself last. There are plenty of times when I will spend an entire day meal prepping their food and then order myself a big fat pizza for delivery because I am just too exhausted to cook for myself. It's not easy being a mom and as moms, we care for our children first but we cannot forget to take care of ourselves too. It is just like how when you are on an airplane, the flight attendant says for you (the mom) to put on your oxygen mask first before putting it on your child because if you can't breathe, you won't be able to take care of your child. You have to eat healthy to feel well enough to handle the obstacles of your day. I have started drinking morning smoothies with my boys in the morning before I shuffle them off to school and that has been a great practice for my boys to get some vital nutrients in while mommy does too! Find what system works well for you but don't forget to feed yourself the way you would a loved one.

Grow Your Own Food

Growing my own food is a new one for me but I've always enjoyed growing my own herbs. When I lived in Okinawa, Japan we had a patio full of fresh basil and the whole porch smelled so fresh and delicious! I've been trying out my green thumb and have really appreciated the process of growing my own food. It makes me super grateful for the food God has provided for us. Growing your own foods really helps you appreciate the food on your plate and believe it or not, it taste better too!

Practice Gratitude for the Food You Eat and for its Ability to Heal

Lastly, practice gratitude for your food and for its ability to heal. Food is medicine. Food is either fighting disease or it is feeding it so it's good to appreciate the food you eat that nourishes your body. When you have gratitude for your food and how it has the potential to heal, you are more likely to treat yourself with healing foods as opposed to junk foods. 

The way we feed ourselves may just be the most important way to love ourselves. The food we eat can make all the difference in how we feel inside and out. It's time to stop restricting yourself from eating foods you love and also time to stop eating foods that make you feel like crap!!