As we head into a season of excess, abundance, and feasting - having established habits will enable you to keep prioritizing your health. Adding in the practice of Restorative Eating over the next few weeks will enable you to truly enjoy the feasting that the holidays bring!
This practice of is so grounding and invigorating, that I thought it deserved a follow up post.
There is a big difference between feeling satisfied and feeling stuffed.
I have talked about this before - weight loss is determined by your body's ability to digest your food properly. Digestion is negatively affected by stress, and also by the high consumption of toxins. Those toxins can be consumed through the air you breathe, the products you put on your skin, the food you eat, and the light you look at. Weight loss is not just a simple calories in - calories out equation.
Most of my clients are concerned going into the holidays (or going on vacation, or going to a week with multiple parties/happy hour events) that they will gain weight, and feel bad. The enjoyment and rejuvenation that those events are designed to bring, are coupled instead with the "inevitable" of weight gain and just feeling gross.
If you have a weekly habit of Restorative Eating, you can go into these festive and celebratory situations ready to enjoy them! And come out feeling satisfied and full, instead of guilty and bloated.
Digestion is the key.
Every cell in your body has a digestive system! Each one absorbs nutrients and expels waste (you learned this in 6th grade biology but if you forgot, so did the rest of us :)). Your lymph and spleen cleans your blood. Your liver transforms toxic or undesirable substances (like cholesterol) so your body can eliminate them. Your gall bladder produces bile that metabolizes fat. The bacteria in our gut is our first line of defense against allergens and infections. Your body is pretty amazing, friends.
Gaining weight is a result of your body's inability to rid itself of toxins and waste. When your body becomes overloaded, it just cant do it all.
Toxins get stored in the fatty tissue of your thighs (enter, cellulite) and brain (hence, brain fog). The insulin receptors in your cells get tired, and their ability to expel excess fat and waste is reduced. Your lymph is unable to clean your blood fast enough, so your cells retain a layer of water around themselves for protection - making you feel bloated.
Contact me for a free Health History Consultation to learn more about how your body's systems and processes work together to keep you from gaining weight, needing medications, and lacking energy! With better support and better understanding, you can experience true life change.
In order for each of your body's organs and systems to digest properly, you need to nourish your body! We need to give ourselves MORE of what our bodies need, not less. Going into this holiday season, establishing this practice of restorative eating is key!
1. Make a plan.
Put it on the calendar, and prioritize yourself. Make a commitment to yourself, and don't break it! In the same way as you would never miss a meeting with a client, or your child's parent teacher conference: Don't. Miss. This. One day this week, give your body the opportunity to heal and restore itself.
2. Change your mind.
Approach this day of Restorative Eating with the same mindset as you would going to a luxurious Spa. Its like a day of pampering, and resting - not a day for restricting.
3. Eat All-the-Plants.
I love having variety in my life :). The fall bounty brings a variety of vegetables - so be creative! For the rest of this week, I will be bringing you my favorite recipes that will take you far beyond the "simple" salad.
The result?
You will feel empowered, not tired. You will experience peace, not stress. You will feel comforted, not dissatisfied. This practice of Restorative Eating could be just what you've been missing.
Here is one of my favorite restorative recipes - Coconut Carrot Soup. It is so creamy and luxurious, full of flavor and nutrients. It even stores well in mason jars to take out and warm up. It is so enjoyable, you just might add it to your Thanksgiving feast :).
Coconut Carrot Soup
2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced.
1 C cherry or grape tomatos, halved
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 bulb fennel, chopped
2-4 tbsp harissa powder (more = spicier)
1 can full fat coconut milk
Handful of salted cashews
Chop veggies, and warm olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add onions, fennel, and carrots to the pot and stir, season with salt and pepper. When they begin to soften (after about 10 min of cooking), add tomatoes, garlic, and harissa powder. Once all ingredients have begun to meld together and are softened (about 10 more minutes), add coconut milk and stir. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, then transfer into a blender to blend.
Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of cashews. Or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Enjoy :)