Nurture by nutrition

I operate best when there is less on my plate. That doesn’t mean that I cannot enjoy having a lot going on. At times I do. But my environment needs calm. Because of this, I’ve been one to handle the “to do” in full before I relax. This character trait also resulted in my developing the ability to delay eating… until the laundry was washing, the bathroom was clean, the clutter was picked up, pots and pans were in soak, the stovetop wiped down… I enjoyed my meal more when it was the only thing “on my plate”.

Over time, coupled with the conditioning of eating “three square meals per day” and add to that only eating “when hungry” and then my focus on avoiding “emotional eating” …. I disconnected from my hunger.

Hunger cues are critical. Lets think about this from a broad perspective… Hunger from the lack of physical nutrition… Hunger for your hopes and goals….going unsatisfied.

Over the years I grew disconnected from those hopes and goals as I disconnected from physical hunger. They were there, & I had countless moments that reminded me of a need, like a tummy growl calls for food. But I didn’t stop to answer. What does that affirm to my body? To the universe? It affirms that delay is something I’m comfortable with. And for many reasons that must shift.

I have laid the foundation for my business and am now working through what holds me back from giving it life. A healthy life for it and for me in partnership with it. And I’ve learned that even with my foundation of nutrient dense eating, I under eat. After years of healing emotional trauma and auto immune states, my body is still in constant stress from the lack of calories (no wonder that weight clings on). And with my business residing in secret…. just another alignment with delayed gratification.

How I am approaching making this shift?

I’m eating often…. I’m not at a point, as I begin, to have three full meals and three snacks.. without connection to hunger, I easily feel I’ve eaten enough even though I haven’t. But I can make smaller meals and have them every few hours. This shows my body that it can count on my providing it nutrients. It doesn’t need to have fear or anxiety and it can let go…. no longer hoarding weight as safety & protection. I’m taking my temperature before I eat and 30 minutes after to see if the number goes up or down… When it goes down, it’s evidence that the food provided a stress release from the body. Sounds like a good thing but it’s not. If your body experiences a stress relief…it’s under stress! Your temperature should go up after eating because it’s fuel that needs to burn…And as I begin, my temperature, which is notoriously low, goes down after meals. A body needs to feel safe to heal and nutrients are the way to nurture your body.

I know that this shift of eating will lead into business actions. It’s transferrable knowledge. I’ll figure out how to take my temperature with it as well… see what actions activate the fire. Shift from thinking I have to execute the big moves (like eating a big meal) and instead prepare “snacks”… small actions that show my business that I’m committing to partnering with it, nurturing it. And a business feeds off actions as the body feeds off food.

Nutrition… it is the foundation of nurture.