I struggle with eating well. I struggle with moving my body. There is so much information out there that I just want to bury my head in the ground. Sometimes I want to scream. Sometimes I want to say eating any of these eating plans may work for you, but since our bodies are different how do you really know it will work for me? You, see I have a chronic illness. I also live with a trach. All I know for sure about what my body needs is that when I eat too many nightshades my body aches. In case you don’t know what a nightshade is, think peppers (all, even chili powder),, tomatoes, potatoes, paprika, and eggplant. I have to limit them. I sometimes forget and I enjoy tomato produces. I love Italian food and guess what most of it is tomato based. I love tomatoes. It is hard not to eat them all the time. I simply can’t. I also know when I eat too much sugar I get grumpy and my body doesn’t react well. I limit sugar too. I also know that if I drink 3 liters of water a day I do a lot better. This is what my body needs. I can only speak about what my body needs. And I’m not going to say you have to each this way and all other ways are wrong. I do my best to eat real whole food and not a lot of processed stuff.
I started reading Julia Cameron’s book “The Writing Diet”, and I learned a lot. She uses a few of the same principles from her other book “The Artist’s Way”, which by the way I love. I own my own copy of. Cameron recommends exploring your wellness through writing. Starting with writing morning pages, which is writing 3 pages daily just to dump your mind of whatever you are holding onto. I’ve been doing this. I’m feeling more empowered with what I know and ready to move forward. I have been and I have lost 39 pounds. I wasn’t weighing myself or obsessing about losing weight. I just was writing out why I want to be healthier and stronger.
Here are some things that I find helpful in Cameron’s book:
- Morning pages, sitting down every morning upon waking up and writing whatever is on my mind down.
- Using HALT: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, And Tired. I learned a different method from one of my counselor’s years ago. HALTBS which is an acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Bored, and Sad.
- Cameron suggests asking yourself these questions every time you reach for food. Am I hungry? IS this what I feel like eating? Is this what I feel like eating right now? Is there something else that I could eat instead? These questions are for those times we are craving junk food or sweets.
Like all Julia Cameron books I recommend you check this one out too. Great tools for those of us who want to reach our wellness goals.
Here are some link I’d like to share with you:
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