Here are the facts.  The nervous system controls digestion.  When you’re stressed, especially about what you’re eating, the digestion process will be compromised by a nervous system on alert.  This can lead to stomach discomfort, poor absorption of nutrients, and unwanted weight gain.  

Food should be enjoyed.  It’s supposed to taste good and nourish our bodies.  Find out what fresh foods you really enjoy and focus on different ways to prepare them.  

Have fun, enjoy eating, and relax.

1.  If you don’t like it, don’t eat it

There’s no point in trying to force yourself to eat something you don’t like.  Eating is meant to be a pleasurable experience.  The world is chock full of fresh and nourishing foods.  You are bound to find a few that you enjoy if you experiment a little.    

2.  Have fun eating outside of your home

One of my favorite things to do is trying a new restaurant.  I love feeling out the atmosphere, seeing a new menu, and scoping out the staff.  I especially love to do this while I’m traveling.  I can assure you that one way to totally kill this experience is to overly worry about what you’re eating.  Sometimes, it’s simply about the preparing and sharing of food, the people that you’re with, and the stories and jokes that are the most important.  Food is cultural and emotional.  Soak it in.  

3.  Take a seat

Eating while standing says, “My mind is really on something else, but I’m hungry” or “I’m trying to distract myself from something.”  Obviously you won’t be able to sit down every time you eat, but it’s something to keep in mind.  Let your body know when you’re eating for optimal digestion.  Don’t confuse your system.   

4.  Chew

There was a man by the name of Antonio Stanchich who was taken prisoner in WWII.  His living conditions while held hostage were treacherous to say the least.  Poor food rations and weather conditions had the prisoners living in extreme discomfort.   Antonio and two other men began to chew their food and water 75-300 times and found it kept them warmer and more nourished.  Out of Antonio’s crew of 35 people, only three survived the concentration camp.  Those three were Antonio and his two friends.  

Chewing will help to release essential enzymes and nutrients in your food making them easier to absorb into your system.  Chewing will also allow you to truly taste your food.  Do you even like what you’re eating?  You should.   

5.  Educate 

If you’re having trouble finding motivation to eat a little healthier and livelier, turn to books, documentaries, and google.  You can live in ambiguity and what ifs all your life, but when you are exposed to information that has real evidence and factual back up, you might find it’s hard not to change your ways.  Quite a few documentaries led me to cut foods out of my diet that I had been debating over for years.  After I was presented with the facts, my brain was clear on what it no longer wanted. 

6.  Relax

Some people have eaten some really weird stuff and still survived.  There’s a man who ate a plane and everything in it lived long after the task.  Now, I’m not encouraging you to run away with this idea, but my point is that the body is more resilient than you think.  I’m sure Mr. Aviator Extraordinaire was excited about his mission and had a positive mindset while chowing down on armrests and such.  Gives a whole new meaning to the term “airplane food”.  My point is, get your mind to be on board with what your putting in your mouth.      

7.  You should eat well because you want to 

I’m not a believer in diets, but I enjoy short raw food cleanses.  They remind me of how good it feels to give my body such nutrient rich food.   After the cleanse, I feel more alert and energetic.  I also feel stronger.  Remind yourself of the good stuff by experiencing it first hand.

8.  Have treats and indulge when you feel like it

Don’t deprive yourself.  The mind only becomes more tempted and feels less taken care of when you deprive yourself daily.  If you accept, allow, and embrace indulgences in your life, you just might find that you don’t crave them as much.  

9.  Let go of counting calories

Some people won’t agree with me on this.  I’m going to put it out there anyway. 200 calories from a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos is just not the same as 200 calories from an avocado.  #sorrynotsorry 

I also don’t think anyone should be computing numbers while they’re eating.  In my experience, chemicals in food, along with unnatural and over processed ingredients are the main culprits for unwanted weight gain.   Try focusing on the quality of your ingredients as your main prerogative and see what happens.  

I love you all.  Now go love your food.