S.E.L.F™ Nourishment Program 

Nourishment comes in many forms.  How are you nourishing yourself?

Do you have nourishing relationships?

Is your career choice your passion?

Are you enjoying your workouts?

How often do you find peace and slow down your mind?

When was the last time you had a good laugh?

Are you enjoying your food?

"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are." - Adele Davis

LEARN HOW TO:

Improve your eating habits by including more fresh, real, less packaged processed foods into your diet.

Feel  more confident in choosing and preparing food.

Experience a remarkable increase in your energy and
vitality.

Stop your cravings and binges.

Rely on your own body's signals for how, when and what to eat.

Feel better in your body and achieve your ideal weight.

Quiet the mind and decrease stress.

Experience an increase in overall happiness in your life.

Here are a few tips to help you achieve your goals of health and happiness.

1. Treat food like your friend.  Don't abuse them or use them for something they can't help you with.  Respect them. Be thankful for them. Set boundaries around them and don't lose yourself to them. Look at their beauty, listen to the message they provide from the feeling they create inside you. Don't visit them too often. Make them colorful; don't overlook the damaged ones. Appreciate their unique scent. Don't judge them by numbers (bank accounts, address and dress size or calories, points, grams) The best gift you can give a friend is TIME - are you giving your food the same gift? If you do, it will give the gift back to you.  Remember mealtime was built into your day to come AWAY from the stress of your day - to regroup, relax, recharge, refresh and restore before going back to your tasks.  Take Time for meals and share them with friends.

2.  "Sun-ergize"-   Since your stomach area is also referred to as the "solar" plexus it makes perfect sense to sync with the sun.  Similar to the sun breaking through the evening darkness, breakfast is your breaking of your night's fasting.  Be sure to have a hearty and nutritious breakfast - best before 9 am - it kicks off your day's energy.  When the sun is highest in the sky is when you have the most energy burning potential so it is a good idea to consume your largest meal then.  As the sun starts to come down in the sky, your metabolism starts to slow down. So be sure to sync with the sun and have smaller meals after it has gone down.  Remember:  breakfast turns to gold, lunch to silver and dinner to lead.

3.  Eat foods as close to nature as possible. It seems we did to our food what Michael Jackson (may he rest in peace) did to his nose:  Took something perfectly designed by nature, thought it wasn't good enough, tried to make it better and in the process messed it up.  Trust that Mother Nature knows what she is doing.  All of her creations contain the right balance of nutrients just as nature intended. Natural foods which are grown in the ground and nourished by the sun bring us the best form of nourishment.  Be sure to include more fresh, real, whole food than packaged/processd food everyday (ie: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.) Best bet:  shoot for lucky 7!

4. Take in nature's most overlooked nutrient - Vitamin "O" - Oxygen:  The stress of living a fast-paced lifestyle causes many to take short shallow breaths which can lead to oxygen deprived cells.  Check in with yourself throughout the day to see how your breathing pattern is.  Mealtime is the perfect opportunity to take a few relaxation breaths before you put a forkful of food in your mouth.  This directs the blood flow to the stomach for optimal digestion and improved immune function.  Many are unaware that 70% of your immune system lies in your digestive tract!  You can ensure getting vitamin "O" by relaxing, eating foods with a water content - and doing some form of aerobic exercise that you enjoy.

5. Balance your plate.  Be sure to have an assortment of color on your plate.  Nothing is more boring than having a beige bland looking plate. Balance your flavors and textures too.  This will bring more enjoyment and excitement to mealtime and help to avoid cravings later on.  And don't forget not to leave out any of the macronutrients:  Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat - yes fat ... and carbs too! Without a balanced plate you will be sure to crave whatever you didn't get. 

6. Be a mindful eater.   Chew your food (which will break it down and make digestion easier.  It will signal the release of sufficient saliva and digestive enzymes.)  Enjoy your food whatever it is you choose to eat. Take pleasure in  it and check in with yourself during a meal to see if your body has given you the "full" signal.  Many don't pay attention during a meal and miss that all important signal to stop eating.

7. Eat water?  The water in fruits and vegetables is extremely important. It contains electrolytes. Why is that important?  Your body is electrically charged and those electrolytes are key to keeping your ticker ticking. Drinking water is a great idea as well. Not only is it a great way to get oxygen into the system but water is a conductor of that all important electricity that keeps your body charged.  To boot - it brings a vibrant look to your skin, stimulates muscles, keep you alert, washes away toxins and moistens your lungs!  A good idea is to keep a glass of water on your night table and drink 8 oz first thing in the morning to rehydrate.

8. Avoid caffeinated and sugary foods and beverages: These mess with your blood sugar and keep you on a roller coaster of emotions and hunger. Caffeine dehydrates the system and both caffeine and sugar draw out all important minerals which are responsible for keeping your body working efficiently.  They also put your body in the stress response which redirects blood flow away from the your digestive tract and can compromise your immune response.

9. Avoid eating  after 7pm.  Do you feel sluggish in the morning? Having a clear digestive tract when going to sleep is a sure way to boost your metabolism and help you sleep better.  You will properly repair, refresh and restore your organs during your night's rest and leave that sluggish feeling behind.

10. Make peace with your food.