The words self care are thrown around a lot these days, but many people still don’t pay enough attention to them. The fact is, how we eat every day is part of our daily self care. If you’re getting take out too often, not drinking enough water, and avoiding vegetables like the plague, then unfortunately, your self care routine isn’t much to shout about. Here, we’re going to talk more about self care and good food so you have a better idea of how you should be caring for yourself with the foods you eat.
Eat Foods That Positively Affect Your Mood and Energy Levels
The key to combining food and self care is paying close attention to how you feel when you eat certain foods. No food should be off limits, as diet culture is toxic, and we certainly weren’t put on this earth to deprive ourselves of the foods we love! However, ideally, you’ll be eating foods most days that make you feel energetic and support the activity you’ll be doing. For example, if you’re visiting the gym and using weights, you’ll want to make sure you have a diet that is high in protein with a fair amount of carbs and healthy fats to give you energy and support muscle recovery/growth.
The amount of fats/carbs you eat depends entirely on you. Some people feel more energetic when they take in a larger amount of healthy fats, others prefer eating more carbs. Pay attention to your body and you should quickly figure out what works for you. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you’re getting a high intake of micronutrients and vitamins with fruit and vegetables.
Eat Foods You Actually Like
Do not, I repeat, do not eat broccoli if you don’t like it. Yes, it’s very nutritious, but if you can’t stand it, then don’t eat it. Your taste buds can change when you make an effort to eat less processed/fast foods and eat more natural foods, but there are some foods you’ll just never like. Eat the ones you do. There must be some fruits and vegetables that appeal to you!
Eat A Balanced Diet – Everything In Moderation
As we previously mentioned, no foods are off limits. Everything should be in moderation, and it’s far healthier to enjoy a balanced diet year round than to undereat during the week and overeat on the weekend, or even to overeat for the entire winter and then starve yourself during summer. Enjoy a bar of chocolate on a Tuesday. Have that Troublemaker red blend on a Thursday paired with the perfect meal. You’ll feel much better for it!
Pay Close Attention While Cooking And Eating
Paying closer attention while you cook and eat your meals will bring a certain quality to it. This means no multi-tasking, and making sure you chew slowly, enjoying every mouthful. You’ll be able to better listen to your body this way, and you’ll likely avoid the urge to overeat/snack if you don’t need to.
