Who else feels that sometimes food understands us better than our spouse? Of course, when we are hungry, we eat. When we are bored, we eat. When we’re anxious, we eat. When we’re celebrating, we eat. When we are watching TV or a movie, we eat. What exactly makes us reach for that 1000 calories a piece cake when we get a promotion or anguish over a breakup?! We as human beings need to find other ways to react to negative and positive happenings in our lives versus eating everything in sight. Let’s find out and understand why we eat what we eat.
Science tells us our hypothalamus controls our eating behavior. In fact, there are certain chemicals that makes us crave for certain nutrients, for example neuropeptide Y – (a mouthful) makes us crave carbs. Galanin, another chemical in the brain,makes us crave fat. These chemicals along with our genes, our ethnicity, hunger, and some bad food rituals send our diet into a spiral adding on those extra pounds .
Defending Ourselves
So how can we protect ourselves from destroying our self! Are we our worst enemy?
Elizabeth Gilberts bestselling book portrayed in a movie by Julia Roberts – “Eat Pray love”. In this movie Julia discovers the power of eating, praying and loving and the deep sense of fulfillment they give her.
My mantra is the same but with a little extra twist
Eat Pray Love and Cook yes please cook or minimize consumption of processed food
Let’s talk about the First Part; EAT!!!
Include time in your day to eat. Do not go hungry eat at least 3 small meals daily- at least 300 calories for breakfast, 400 calories for lunch and 500 calories for dinner. Protein keeps us full-try vegetable proteins. An easy breakfast add spinach and eggs to cooked Quinoa (find in your grocery freezer)- a filling breakfast. Nutrition science tell us that foods high in proteins, probiotics and low intakes of bad fat increases dopamine levels the feel-good hormone. For lunch try curried eggplant with minced chicken. Add a piece of fruit they packed with Vitamins and naturally sweet. For dinner include any leafy green as your heart, stomach and colon will thank you. Leafy greens example that Americans like -spinach, kale, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli. Cabbage, shrimp and sweet potato in coconut milk with wild rice is healthy and delicious for a supper entree
The important message here is to eat. Not foods that are highly processed and causes inflammation but foods that help our cells with vitality, build muscle, strengthen our bones and keep our skin radiant.
Second Part: Praying/Meditation
Pope Francis in one of his daily messages recommends we pray not with long words but pray to have a better understanding of ourselves. In this method we can find what is good and bad about ourselves and find ways to improve.
“No Time!” is what you say. I say find time! You can’t multitask and meditate unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Fifteen to twenty minutes of praying/meditation is ideal to begin with. The worst that can happen is that you may end up loving or hating yourself but will have a better understanding of why you do certain things.
Third Part-Love
Finally, on love I found this from Mother Theresa quotes on love, which speaks volumes “One cannot be fully alive without relationships with others. We are made for love, to be unified in giving and receiving with others. and ultimately with God!”
– Your Health and Wellness Nutritionist, Bernadine Peter
