Previously I have discussed the health benefits of a low-fat whole food plant strong diet AND in the last issue I talked about attuned or intuitive eating. In this issue I would like to talk about how to RECONCILE those two concepts.
In working with clients, I try to walk them through a ten-step process to their best health, their best life. First, you have to ENVISION what you want, what you deeply desire, so much so it might bring tears to your eyes, you feel it in your gut!
A low fat plant strong diet can help slow progression or reverse some chronic conditions (like heart disease or type 2 diabetes). It can decrease inflammation which often results in decreased pain. If you are not aware or are skeptical of this information, you should (step 2) educate yourself. LEARN.
Excellent Resources:
- Food Over Medicine, by Pam Popper
- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn
- The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
- Neil Barnards Diabetes Reversal Program
- The Starch Solution, by John McDougal
If you are more of a watcher than a reader, several excellent documentaries are out there. Forks Over Knives is iconic. Food Choices is excellent. Gamechangers is great if you are athletic or an athlete (or if you play one on TV-hehe).
After you educate yourself, consider your vision for your health. Does a low-fat whole food plant based diet, (from here forward referred to as a LFWFPBD) align with those goals? Then consider what you will CHOOSE, what type of dietary pattern you will follow. (remember this mindset of choice is so important, and embrace or develop a mindset of excitement about eating in a way that can heal your body, be delicious, and feel great!)
You will need to learn how to structure your dietary pattern. (The resources noted previously can help with that, and Wellness Forum Health offers great education for its members for that). You can still practice attuned eating within a plant based dietary pattern.
AVOID thinking of foods as good vs bad, or as allowed or not allowed (that is a trigger for resistance!, you might remember the “psychological reactance” I talked about in the last issue) Foods can serve your goals or impede them-but not in a one shot fashion. You can eat ONLY healthy foods for a day, that won’t resolve your health issues. You can eat decadent, high fat, calorie dense, and processed foods a different day. That one day won’t destroy your health. Its about what you do consistently over time and all the other things you do to create your best health.
Eating healthfully IS about eating healthy foods and doing so consistently but it is also about having a healthy relationship with food and eating. That means ENJOYING food and eating. Guilt and shame deserve no place in your relationship with food.
If you do experience guilt, shame anxiety around food and eating-consider using the mindful eating journal I will include in this newsletter while eating whatever you eat. Not with an intention to stop eating, eat less, eat more…but to attune yourself to what you are feeling, emotionally and physically, and to try to give yourself what you really need.
You should also enjoy the TASTE of the food you eat, you should not feel like you are suffering through your meals! UGH, who can keep THAT up?? If plant based eating and/or cooking is NEW to you, there might be a bit of a learning curve, but there are so many super yummy foods you can make or purchase. There are loads of recipes online. (TIP: Not all plant based recipes are low fat, a lot are not…so watch for that) Trust me, I love to eat-and I love to eat good food, so I couldn’t eat this way if I couldn’t enjoy tasty food. We are made to enjoy eating because it is necessary for our survival-to make sure we do it! So, you may need a little time to adjust, but this is not about a lifetime of boring, bland, no fun eating (hard pass on that).
AVOID
Calorie Counting/Portion Control/Measuring Nutrients ETC…These simply aren’t necessary unless you have specifically been instructed to do so for a medical reason like kidney disease). Plant based foods are so full of fiber, water, or both-that they fill up your stomach, literally. They activate receptors that tell the brain “all is well, this human is getting enough food” . They are also so calorie dilute that it is really hard to take in “too many” calories (unless you eat too much high fat plant foods or find yourself indulging in treats on a regular basis. So help yourself to seconds-WOO HOO!
HELPFUL TOOLS:TO USE
POTATOES and other whole food carbs like any and all whole grains, sweet potatoes, corn, squash. These are the secret weapon to not feeling hungry all the time. Fruits and vegetables just don’t have enough calories to keep you going and energized! Trust me, when they are not cooked in fat, or slathered in fat after they are cooked, or drowned in cheese or other animal foods-WHOLE FOOD carbs are NOT FATTENING.
Good Recipes: keep it simple, especially to start. You don’t have to be a plant based gourmet chef, and you don’t have to eat foods you really don’t like.
Mindfulness:
- Recognize how you FEEL when you eat a LFWFPBD consistently.
- Do you have less pain?
- More energy?
- Are there some foods you love, some you DO NOT. Again, you don’t have to eat any food you don’t like!
- You can allow yourself to indulge occasionally.
Remember, your body really is looking out for you and your survival. If you tune it, you just might be able to hear it asking for more broccoli!
Mindset Matters Most
Special no cost mini mindset makeover event-coming soon-click here for info.
Mindset Check-In: What are your thoughts about YOUR dietary pattern. Do you think of it as a CHOICE, an OPPORTUNITY, a CHALLENGE (that can be a good thing), a learning opportunity? Any changes you make in diet, activity or behaviors is your choice to make and should support your goals and dreams. You deserve that. We are much more likely to do what we choose for ourself and our own reward as opposed to what someone else tells us to do, even if it is “for our own good”.
Can you see how it supports your vision of your best, healthiest self?
Do you eat mindlessly and without regard to foods influence on your health? Tuning in to your body’s signals, your preferences, desires, pleasures and discomforts can be a really enlightening experience. You can do this as a curiosity exercise-even if you are not ready or interested in dietary change. The mindbody’s wisdom is priceless. You can access my mindful eating journal in Coaches Corner below.
Coaches Corner:
Here is a mindful eating journaling tool-see what you can learn about yourself! Use this tool for for a week or two, plan to use it at times when you feel less in control of your eating, or when you feel most detached from it. Just be curious and gentle with yourself. You are looking for influence, not to force change with this exercise. Make sure you plan a time to REVIEW to notice any insights, patterns or other good info.
Here is a recipe for my favorite salad dressing (you won’t believe how simple it is!)
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