How to eat vs. How to diet

My friend sent me the best article this weekend, The Next “It” Diet? Try not to lose weight.

Could you feel everyone exhale with relief while letting go of the old, outdated, diet mentality?

It sure isn’t easy. We all watched the Biggest Loser, and thank goodness that is off the air. And some of us were taught only how to diet, count points, calories, macros and you name it. This programming is hard to change, but is completely possible!

Instead of when dieting became the fad, what if we learned HOW to eat?

There are so many cultures that have special foods, meals, spices, and healing remedies to support our symptoms at the moment.

For example; in Egypt, Ethiopia and Morocco, garlic, fenugreek, cumin and fennel have been used traditionally as remedies. Dill is an ancient Egyptian remedy for soothing the stomach and relieving indigestion. Caraway was used to help digestion and prevent nausea, sumac treated an upset stomach, poppy seed acted as a painkiller, tarragon cured insomnia, and cumin lowered blood pressure and relieving stress.

And in Ayurveda, foods are classified as hot, cold, moist, dry, heavy, or light. Hot foods speed digestion. Cold foods slow it. Every meal is well-balanced between hot and cold foods, with different tastes and textures to promote digestion and avoid illnesses. Potatoes, for example, are eaten to decrease blood pressure, cauliflower to reduce stomach and colon cancers, tomato to improve blood circulation, and pickled mangoes for colds. Resource

What if we apply some of these simple principles to learn how to eat to support our digestion, bloating, guilty emotions, cravings, and physical needs?

I created the Conscious Nutrition Food Tree and 4 Meal Types to help you do just this!

The Feel Your Meal process doesn’t make you overthink, restrict, manipulate or deprive. Instead, you connect with your body, hunger signals, cravings and what the heck you have in the fridge to create meals that support you.

There are NO rigid rules. Just experiment, see what you observe in your mind and body. That’s it. Head to the Conscious Nutrition Food Tree to learn more about the 4 Meal Types.

Protein Meals: Add this Meal Type when you need to feel more grounded, anemic, crave sugar often, are very active, and have a healthy digestive tract.

Starch Meals: Add this Meal Type when you crave CARBS! Omitting this food group creates restriction and deprivation. You are human and we need the fiber, vitamins and minerals from starchy foods. My favorites are Winter squashes, sweet potatoes, quinoa and rice.

Combined Meals: Most people primarily eat this food group, especially in the Standard American Diet. My #1 Suggestion is to try separating Proteins & Starches for some of your meals and notice if you feel less bloating. Separating these two may have your stomach acid break down your food and help your small intestine absorb nutrients better. Add these meals when you have strong cravings, are more active and need comfort.

Vegan Meals: This Meal Type is to help us ALL eat more veggies. This isn’t your typical Vegan diet, instead, it is trying a meal that has just veggies or fruit with healthy fats. For example, you are making a curry. Instead of automatically adding meat or rice, try it with just veggies, curry and coconut milk. Only try this Meal Type when you are not really hungry or having strong cravings.

JOIN me next week to experiment with these 4 Meal Types to help you teach yourself how to eat for your body. Only YOU can do this for you.

The 5-day EASE-in begins January 18th! For 5-days, we gently add in the above tips and learn from your body’s signals versus what your mind is trying to control.

You will walk away feeling more connected to your food choices and understanding what signals your body gives you and which Meal Type your body needs.

The 5-day EASE-in is FREE, however, If you know yourself well and are needing a bit of accountability, pay $22 and use coupon code: pay22

Or Free and use coupon code: Easein

with abundant nourishment,

Heather Fleming, C.C.N. ​Conscious. Compassion. Nutrition.