When You Eat Healthy |
By now, most people are generally aware that eating healthy proposes a lot of physical benefits, but what about the spiritual benefits of eating healthy? Are there any at all? I propose that there is when eating healthy is done with pure intention*.
It’s one thing to be eating healthy with the sole purpose to lose weight in order to look like your fitness idol on Instagram, however, it’s a different story when you begin to change the mindset behind why you want to eat healthy in the first place. What happens when you eat healthy as an act of self-love and gratitude for the gift of your body?
Changing Perspective |
In my opinion, when you make this shift of mindset, you begin to tell yourself that you are worthy. You are saying to your body, which has an effect on your soul, here, you are worthy of a substance that empowers you, fuels you and nourishes you...a substance that builds you up. So what are you saying to your body when you consistently eat unhealthy? You are saying the exact opposite...you are making a bold statement that you are unworthy of health, livelihood and nourishment. Why does this matter? Because, as the Church teaches, what you do to your body has a profound effect on your soul.
"Because what you do to your body has a profound effect on your soul"
This isn’t to say that you can never have anything remotely unhealthy. If that was the case, we still wouldn’t have a good relationship with food. Rather when you feed yourself any kind of food, think about how your body reacts. When I eat chocolate ( all sorts of chocolate, not just dark chocolate), my body loves it - especially when I’m on my period. On the other hand, when I eat white bread, even though it may taste good, my stomach throws the biggest tantrum. It literally takes 24-48 hours for my digestive system to get back to normal. At the same time, when I eat a grilled salmon with a salad (look at this Instagram post, ugh so delicious) my body loves it just as much as chocolate.
I’m fueling myself with nutrients and not tearing myself apart by eating something that isn’t healthy and that my body is unable to process.
At The End Of The Day |
At the end of the day, eat what your body loves. I’ve found that if my body thrives after eating a super healthy meal, I start to crave it more once I get past eating the initial meal. Of course, if I find a meal to be absolutely disgusting- no matter how much seasoning I add- I’m not eating it. Why? Because food, like exercise, is meant to be a form of self-love- not punishment. I’m not going to force myself to eat something that I don’t like just because I want to look a certain way. At that point, I’m saying “Because I don’t look like her, then I must eat this” rather than saying “I want to fuel my body and give thanks for what it is by eating what I enjoy.”
So tell me how do you (plan to) eat food as an act of gratitude?
*This post is based off of personal experience and opinion that is not currently backed up by current formal research done in a clinical setting.
-Written By Jasmine Coles, Owner of Steadfast Training LLC