Nourish yourself
If you’ve struggled with issues around eating and food – like digestive problems, insulin resistance, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorders, and other challenges – ACEs and toxic stress might help explain why.
Toxic stress can impact our digestive system and metabolism — in some cases, causing severe problems. If that’s been your experience, you may want to enlist the support of a trained nutritionist or medical professional.
An important component of our healing journey – no matter where the starting line is for you – is eating mindfully. Some of us may find ourselves eating while on autopilot. But paying attention can have a big impact. And it can make our meals a whole lot more enjoyable.
Here are three ways to become more mindful about our food and nutrition:
Eat with all your senses
When we deliberately engage our senses, we deactivate autopilot.
Notice how your food smells, how it looks. Feel the textures on your tongue and try to taste different flavors. When we’re eating with all our senses, we’re tuning into our body, and we’ll be more attuned to our body’s cues too.
Put it into practice
Grab something simple, like a carrot or an apple. Spend a minute with it, noticing the color and how it feels in your hand. Tune into the sounds, flavors, and feel as you take a bite.
Pay attention to how you feel
When we’re eating on autopilot, we can often overlook that some foods give us energy and make us feel good while others make us feel bloated and lethargic. The more we consciously notice what effects specific foods have on us, the more we’ll naturally start to gravitate towards the ones that make us feel good.
Put it into practice
For your next three meals or snacks, take note of what you eat and how you feel afterwards.
Be mindful of the basics
We’ve all heard it a million times. Eat more fruits and veggies. Drink more water. But there are reasons these basics bear repeating.
Water keeps our body functioning properly. And plant-based foods — like veggies, fruits, whole grains, and vegetable oils — are packed with phytonutrients. These are powerful, disease-fighting compounds that are only found in plants (fun fact — they’re also what give veggies and fruits their color, flavor, and smell).
Studies have shown that eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains is linked with a decreased risk of many health conditions associated with ACEs, and can improve our overall health.
Put it into practice
Instead of thinking along the lines of all or nothing, good or bad, think of your choices on a less or more scale as you learn about what makes you feel better or worse.
Drinks
Try to drink more water and less soda.
Snacks
When reaching for a snack, lean towards plant-based foods like nuts (if they’re safe for you) or yogurt and less on processed foods like chips or candy bars.
Meals
With meals, consider reorganizing the way you fill your plate. Instead of starting with meat and thinking of vegetables as sides, think of the vegetable as the main focus, with meat, chicken, or seafood as sides along with some sort of whole grain, like brown rice or quinoa.
Of course, many of us have different nutritional needs and preferences. If you have any questions or concerns, consider consulting a doctor or trained nutritionist.