Nourishing You from the inside out.. Even when you are busy! – Podcast Episode 4

As women we are often so focused on the outer of our beings. The way we look, the shape of our body, the size of our clothes and the number on the scales.  

I get it. I’ve been there. So rather than being concerned that nourishment or health wasn’t my priority, I was concerned about the way that I looked and my size. For example, I didn’t see the point in doing yoga because as far as I could see, it wouldn’t make me skinny, so why bother. Saying out loud now seems crazy, because that is not how my mind thinks now. For over 15 years, I didn’t trust myself around food either and spent most of my time on a diet, buying diet products or hunting around for the next product that was marketing itself to me.  

These days my view is so far away from this thought. At the end of the day, what truly matters to me is that I have nourished my body – with food, movement, mindset, positivity and self-care. That’s what I practice myself, and it is such a healthy, enjoyable space to be in because it changes your life and way of being if you can find the right balance for you 

So, what does ‘nourishing your body’ mean? 

Growing up, “nourishment” meant the food pyramid that we were all taught as school. I was raised on the standard Western diet, that usually meant some kind of meat, maybe a vegetable, and some bread or pasta. I’ve since cut out bread and pasta as gluten doesn’t agree with me and I try to stick to unprocessed food which is protein, fruits or veggies, and healthy fats such as avocado or olive oil. Food quality and quantity are certainly an important piece of the nourishment puzzle.  

A lot of us, including myself, eat too much, more than what our bodies actually need. We were raised to eat everything on our plates and this has led to a detachment override between our brain and our belly. With years of overriding listening to ourselves compared to when we are actually satisfied. I am someone who loves food and it is mentally hard working on the feeling of injustice that my body just does not need as much food as I want to feed it. Food is such an enjoyable pleasure in life and when you have a lot of stress factors, food and drinks are something that we can reach for as a coping mechanism, however it is counteracted, if we over eat.  

As I’ve got older and done a lot of work on myself in this area, I’ve realized that nourishing yourself is so much more than what you eat. It’s how you treat yourself in every aspect of your life. It means taking exquisite care of yourself. It is how you talk to yourself and about yourself to others. It is how you take care of yourself at a very basic level which includes the nourishment with food. 

I used to think that I nourished myself, I mean, I ate – Just not always high-quality food, but back then food was food and you ate to stop feeling hungry. What I’ve come to realize is that, for my body, “nourishing” myself with fast food or whatever’s cheap or on sale at the grocery store isn’t nourishment at all.  

SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO NOURISH YOURSELF? HERE ARE 10 THINGS THAT I LIVE BY AND I HOPE THAT THEY RESONATE WITH YOU; 

• I eat 3 high quality meals per day with lots of vegetables foods, lean protein, healthy fats, and carbs. Aim for the best quality food that you can afford and avoid anything that comes in packets.  
• Unplug each night no later than 7 p.m. so that you can relax and unwind from the day and spend quality time with the family. Relaxing well before bed, sets you up for a much better and more well rested sleep.  
• Do some sort of movement every day. Whatever it is that you enjoy, it doesn’t mean slogging it out at the gym. Just do what you love.  
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, whatever is right for you. 
• Spend time and talk with friends every week, the friends where you can be vulnerable, honest and yourself, the ones where you don’t feel judged.  
• Ask for help when you need it. Don’t run yourself ragged.  
• Say no when you are too stretched. Is in going to matter in 5 months from now? 
• Treat yourself the same way you would your friends, talking to yourself kindly and demonstrating love towards yourself.  
• Be in nature regularly, fill your soul with fresh air, salt, sand, birds or what every it is that lights you up.  
• Fill in a gratitude journal every day and or practice meditation even if just for 10 minutes.   

Making space for yourself so that you can nourish your body and soul with these easy and free things will help you to be whole. Create space so that you can do these things because you are important to the people around you, to your family, your work, your business, and your clients.  

Listen in on the podcast this week where Caralee breaks down what Nourishing You, truly means.

Click here to listen.

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