Food is my Friend

Food heals! My continuing lifestyle change speaks to this.

For years, since I was a 12 year old teen, food has ruled my life, it made me fat, it made me miserable, it made me ill, it caused my obesity that plagued me into my mid-40s, it caused my debilitating insulin-dependent diabetes and my raging hypertension, it made my babies come way too early, it made me feign happiness walking around in my big and comfortable body BUT researching food and how to make it work for me and my body and my chronic illness, and my unhappiness, made food make me healthy too!

I have closed the chapter and walked away from the harmful chemicals in pills and potions, even the herbal kind, that hold false promises to assist in weight loss. In fact, I am of the opinion that it has chemically harmed my body more than done any good. To this day, not a single person can advise me on what happens when all weight-loss gimmicks, aids and other flavour of the month “miracles” are stopped – well it’s common knowledge and sense, that the weight piles back on, often double in quantity…having a changed emotional relationship with food, making it my friend and enjoying the goodness of REAL food that I put into my body, gives me far more satisfaction than anything in a bottle or box. I revelled in food during my obese days and I revel in food now – just the healthier, non-processed, naturally nutritious variety.

Always work in progress, below are some of the changes and nuances that affect me and are apt in describing an emerging lifestyle change, and reading this, you too can identify with them and agree that it is indeed work in progress, continually…
Food is my friend – I no longer attach negative events or thoughts to food. At one time, food = weight gain, illness, and anxiety. Now food is nourishing and makes my body and my mind happy.

I am calm – Without the fluctuations in blood sugars and my dependence on insulin, I am responsive to life struggles, rather than reactive. My mood is so even now I don’t even remember the last time I was really anxious or angry.

I’m thinner – I used to say that I was “big boned” or inherited my maternal-families large framed genes, in defending and and being over-protective about my largesse. Clean eating literally shed the fat without having to resort to pills or potions.

Cooking is enjoyable – I have always loved cooking and am very creative in the kitchen. But now I’m adapting authentic meals, some passed on through the generations, some following other amazing foodies, to make them healthier, and sharing my creations and adaptions with like-minded others enhances my skills too.

My skin looks amazing–  I have always thought that next to my eyes, my skin is my best asset!  Recently though, my skin glows. Probably because of all the healthier fats like organic, cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil that I am including in my meals.

I am more attuned to my body needs – Because I’m only eating REAL food, no sugar or processed foods, and there are few food ingredients I can now identify that are not compatible to me and my lifestyle.

I sleep better – You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and you’re super calm and warm and you realize you just had a really sound, peaceful, amazing sleep? I wake up feeling that way every single morning. I have always been a bad sleeper but my sleep is different now. According to Head Chef, I don’t snore anymore too! I rarely eat a meal or snack after 7pm and I wake up feeling completely, fully rested, refreshed, and ready for my day.

I am always energised – All the time! I seldom experience bloat or the fatigue that used to follow a carbohydrate or sugar binge. It’s like nothing keeps me down.

The need for emotionally eating is disappearing – Food was almost always used to calm anxiety after a stressful day, or emotional moment. Eating bread and higher carb meals only intensified the feelings and led to more eating. Having my diabetes in reversal is a big contributor to keeping my emotional eating in check

I am beginning to feel in control – This has come about through precision planning and preparation and always ensuring that I have a ready prepped meal at the ready in my freezer. It costs nothing in time over the weekend to work out my own meal plan for the week and it’s also fun chopping and changing it to suit the mood. Socialising too is becoming more enjoyable in that I take along or call ahead to check menu’s and make arrangements for having what I need to eat, so that I am in control of what I put into my body.

I am winning the food addiction battle– Addiction is tricky. It’s doesn’t always show up as a compulsive need for alcohol or drugs. One can get addicted to any habit-forming substance. And guess what most people are addicted to and don’t even know it? Yep. Sugar. I had no idea the power sugar had over my life until I cut it out. Try it for one day and see how many times your body and mind resist your effort. It’s scary.

I seek out the mirror rather than avoid it – This may make me a bit more vain but I am kind of enjoying the emerging image that I loathed to look at in the past and have a new-found relationship with mirrors and shop fronts!

My mindfulness practice is greatly enhanced – Practicing mindfulness means being here NOW. It’s about tuning in to the present moment and bringing your attention to your internal experiences. It requires willingness and stillness. Being on a carbohydrate and by default, a sugar high, being tired, being bloated, or being in any other uncomfortable state that dirty eating causes can seriously inhibit one’s willingness to pay attention to the present moment.

I smell better – What comes out of my body reflects what I put into it.

I sweat less – I used to be very well insulated! More body fat requires your heart to do more pumping to get blood through the body. More heart activity leads to increase in body temperature. Higher body temperature requires more sweat to stay cool. I think I am winning the sweat battle and find that I am increasingly needing to cover up more, a departure from the past where I’d throw off my over-clothes without the need for much exertion.

I’m not a hypocrite – While I’ve always hankered after healthy living, I could never commit to eating clean. Now my behaviours actually match my intentions, through years of trial and error and coming full circle in accepting that I was obese and taking steps to correct that. It’s amazing how fulfilling life is when your behaviours are in alignment with your values.

I am continually reinforcing my foundation – While my journey towards my health and weight loss Utopia is still fledgling, I now feel like my foundation is solid in the making and I have so much more to work towards and look forward to in further defining and refining my lifestyle change.

The foundation has been laid, and the building continues…

I am enjoying exploring and fine-tuning my new and second-chance relationship with my old friend, Food…
This feels good!