eat well

With meal planning you can accomplish eating well.  As a human, you need to eat, eat every day, eat multiple times throughout the day, and eat well.  Why should you eat well?  The main reason to eat well is to fulfill a basic need in normal body function and cell regeneration.  Understanding what you really need to know about eating well and meal planning will aid you in your continuing journey of organizing your spirit.

You may be saying, “I already know how to eat correctly!”

If you do, great!  But you aren’t reading this blog to find out how to do any of these things correctly; you are here because of the motivation you lack.

Why Don’t We Devote More Time to Meal Planning?

One of the things that overwhelms people about eating is that there is so much written out there about how to eat for your body type, for a healthier heart, with low carbs, vegan, gluten free, the list goes on-and-on.

So where do YOU start?  YOU start with the following:

· Know your body.

· Know your personality.

· Know your schedule.

Did you notice how the list is written.  It is ALL about you.  I didn’t say—know your spouse or know your kids—I said to know YOU.

If you haven’t taken care of you, then you are not going to be able to take care of anyone else.

Know Your Body

Do you have diet restrictions that you must observe? 

There are two diet restrictions of which I personally must be mindful:

· I have blood sugar problems.

· I have an allergy to wheat.

Now, I did not ask if you have diet restrictions that you want to observe, only those that you MUST observe.  Once you take care of your basic diet and gain more energy, then you can incorporate a diet that may be more conducive to a healthy weight loss plan.

If you have diet restrictions, you should already know what they are or be working with a health professional in identifying them.

Know Your Personality

My personality is unique to me as yours is to you.  Because of my personality, I am susceptible to digestive issues in that I can lose my appetite due to emotional changes.  Some people who undergo emotional changes, may turn to eating, as they may find comfort in the action of eating.  I have the opposite effect, I become easily nauseated and food simply won’t move through my digestive track.

As I’ve gotten older, I recognize when these events happen whether it is something extreme like someone dying or something that seems rather insignificant like having a conflict with someone at work or even when I should be having fun like traveling on vacation.  The way my brain deals with these situations—as stress—my body responds the same—slow digestion.

Then, add to the fact that I am not a good cook; however, I’m not a bad cook either.  I am a very black and white—the directions say this—type of cook.  Cooking involves a bit of patience and flexibility which are two areas that do not come naturally to me.  Therefore, I have to recognize that about myself.

And finally…Know Your Schedule

· Are there certain days that are busier than others?

· Are there other days that you tend to rest more than devote to food prep?

· Are there any days that you can commit your energy to meal planning and prepping?

If there is no one good day to prepare for eating well, maybe there are certain times of day that work better for you.

Analyzing your daily, weekly, and monthly commitments will aid you in designating the time you need to prepare your plan to eat well.

Ready?

Fix a refreshment, turn on your favorite music, and grab some paper & a pen.

After you’ve gathered these items and find a place to sit down, you are ready for Eat Well: Making the Commitment.

Take a moment to reflect on the people or things to which you have made a commitment.  Since you have your paper and pen, feel free to list your obligations, writing as many things as you can within a minute.

Done?

Out of all of those items, where are the devotions to you?  I suspect that there are not many, if at all.  In making the commitment to yourself a priority, your perception begins to change in how you value yourself and you realize that you can actually jump a little higher than before.

What is the definition of commitment?

The first definition according to Merriam-Webster, refers to placing an individual into a “penal or mental institution.”  While many of us feel that is where we are heading with the state of our homes, I want to focus on the second definition—“an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.”

(Retrieved 5/15/17 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commitment)

What are some things that keep you from making the commitment to eating well?

For me, I have personally struggled in three areas:

1. I hate shopping.

2. I do not have the self-discipline.

3. It is way more work than I want to put into it.

Identifying your reasons to not fulfilling a basic obligation to yourself is key in overcoming this battle.  Take a few minutes to determine three reasons on what keeps you from eating well?  I only want you to come up with three.

If you have more than three, then rank them in order of most to least, choosing the first three.

If you can barely come up with one, then one of two things are likely.

· Either, you have this eating thing under control and do not need any motivational assistance.  To which I would skeptically ask why you are here.

· Or you need a way to stimulate ideas other than the ones I outlined for myself.  Which is perfectly reasonable.  If this is the case, feel free to peruse the internet looking for possible theories.

**Once you have pinpointed the three items that keep you from eating well, come up with possible solutions that will aid you in successfully overcoming your challenges.**

In using my examples, below are my struggles and my solutions.

Struggle: I hate shopping.

Solution: Find online stores where I can purchase the food.  Then, either have it delivered or pick up my order at a predetermined time.

Struggle: I do not have the self-discipline.

Solution: Make responsibilities small.

Struggle: It is way more work than I want to put into it.

Solution: Breakdown menu planning into small bites.

Drilling Down Some More

If your solution is open-ended and lacking definition, then consider taking it a step further.  For example, in my reference to the solution of making responsibilities small, I may further clarify it with the following details:

1. Commit to working on a menu or list 10 minutes each day.

2. Determine to eat at designated times throughout the day.

Your struggles and solutions may be different than mine, the same, or a little of both.  Whatever they are, take the time to discover what they are.  Make this commitment to yourself.

Stop and Give Me Ten!

A ten-minute break, that is. Grab your refreshment, set a timer for ten minutes, and rest. 

Whatever rest means for you, do that. You deserve it! Great job! 

You have accomplished a great deal in your endeavor.  Come back when you are ready for Submit to Sleeping: The Foundation.