Food and Mood
In this week’s discussion, Rosie and I talk about food and mood. Some foods can make us feel happy or so we may think. (Discussion here). Comfort food, for example, may provide us with temporary comfort but may not always make us feel well in the long run. Those “comfort foods” may create a short-term pleasurable feeling but at what cost? It is always important to look at your intent. Asking, “Am I eating this because it brings back pleasurable memories or am I eating this to avoid feeling something?” If you are avoiding feeling something, you are feeding your emotions? And, we know if we stuff our emotions, it doesn’t lead to thriving! Taking a look at food and mood is a valuable tool to really understand why we make the choices we do. It is key to creating a thriving lifestyle?
Food that is full of vitality, rich in nutrients, and beautiful can uplift our spirits and can assist us to live a life where we are thriving. Foods that remind us of the good old days, of our cultural festivals, of special foods related to our religions and holidays can be uplifting, as long as those foods still work with our bodies. It all depends on how we feel when eating those foods, again food and mood! And there are foods that carry memories of the not-so-good times. Or foods we were made to eat as kids—Yuck.
Rosie and I discuss how foods, by their nature, can trigger anger, depression, unexplained fatigue, and moodiness. There is much evidence that eating a processed food diet is linked to depression, anger, and even violence. I have personally experienced what it feels like if I eat foods with GMOs, herbicides, or pesticides–my mood changes and my body rebels! For some, eating too many sweets can trigger guilt or regret— “Oh why did I eat that second helping of coconut banana cream pie?!!!” So again, it is about making choices that can enhance your quality of life, not hurt it! And, if you don’t really care what you eat, that’s an issue in and of itself. Part of thriving is having food that nourishes us and nurtures us!
To thrive like a guru requires that we notice when our moods change, and what triggered them—good and not so good. We become more aware, more conscious, and more curious about what brings about uplifted moods or moods when we feel not ourselves. And, it becomes clearer that, rather than feeling deprived if we don’t eat that certain food we crave, we feel deprived when we eat that food and feel the unfavorable consequences of doing so!
You may love your comfort food but the question to ask yourself is, does this food assist me to create the experience of thriving and flourishing? The answer may be yes or it may be no. This requires honesty! It is all about making choices and creating an awareness of how our food makes us feel. You may be able to have both. Creating this awareness helps us stay in balance and when we are in balance, thriving just is!
Listen to Rosie and me discuss the importance of paying attention to our moods as a way of eliminating some of the triggers which contradict thriving like a guru. Please leave us a comment below! We love hearing from you.
For more about Rosie go to The Paradigm Shifts. Also check our Food Integrity Now’s Health Store for some of your nutritional and wellness needs. Food Integrity Now is supported by your purchases. Thank you!
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