Self Love & Food

Self Love & Food

Self-love is important to living and eating well. Self love influences many areas of our lives.  Please don’t get it confused with a big ego or some arrogance, self love is none of that.

Part of self love is truly knowing yourself and your values, its putting your self and needs first (not saying to not give concern to anyone else and I know that’s easier said when you have small kids), but there are many ways one can do this even though they may seem small.

Strong self love is being able to creativity express you – yourself.  I know for me when I was younger I didn’t have the confidence to truly be me, I was trying to please everyone around me and also, here’s the biggie – trying to do it right – perfect – be perfect – how exhausting!!

Self love allows nurturing of self, whether it be hot bath, a form of exercise, eating healthy, a creative outlet, honoring who you really are by your values, likes and dislikes and living by them.

Self love is not verbally or mentally beating one self up, over exercising, over eating, eating a lot of processed high fat foods, denying yourself who you are,  not having a creative outlet (that could be in the kitchen, painting, writing, gardening, dancing, dressing etc) or being in any type of abusive relationship (not just romantic, but work, friendship etc)

How do you talk to yourself? Would you talk to a good friend that way?

When you eat do you just eat? In other words are you watching tv, on the computer etc?

Do you know what you like to do or be in your life but are constantly denying yourself it or finding excuses?

Do you let fear or confusion rule?

Do you reward yourself for things well done with a high fat, over processed treat?

Do you ever feel like it’s no use or nothing will change?

How often do you over eat or eat out of boredom?

A couple of things that I found to be helpful for me for self love and letting go of emotional or binge eating was getting clear on what I didn’t want in my life and what I did want.  I bought a journal, made lists then starting asking myself some questions…

– What change would I need make to do, be, or have for me to be that person? (Who do I want to be, what     is my personal choice) ?

– How would I have to feel?

– How did I want to live?

– How do I want to feel in my body?

– What things do I enjoy doing?

– Why am I not doing them?

– What is it I truly want?

– Why is it I want that?

What is my dominate energy in my life? (ie anger, sadness, happy etc)

– What would it be like to be______?

– What kind of person have I been?

– What kind of person do I represent to the world?

– Is there a feeling I struggle with over and over again or have every day?

– What thing (even if it seems small) could I do today to start me moving in the direction I would prefer?

What I like to do in the morning several times a week is get up and sit down on my laptop or journal and just write – I got this from the book many years ago ‘ The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron.  I just would write, I don’t censor, think about it or heck most times I don’t even read it.  I never worry about punctuation  – I just let er rip.  Anything and everything that comes up and I let it go.  Then I may ask myself some of those questions.  I am looking for blocks that have kept me stuck in habits or thinking that may not be supportive to myself.

It got me releasing some mental chatter, negative emotions and well some plain crap.  It made me realize what I focused on, how I was thinking and honestly admitting to myself where I was.  I did not then beat myself up, I started dreaming – which got me feeling better and believing in myself and liking myself.  Eating healthy became easier too as I wanted to nourish myself and my body more than beat it up anymore.

Everything is energy – when we have lower emotions especially towards ourselves, they have a lower vibration.  The more you can let them go, the easier it will be to start shifting over to a place of self love.

Remember this – Self love is truly self expression in the highest form
No need to explain justify hide or feel bad about it or how you want to express you
We are all different and unique and when we can each embrace that within ourselves – life can become amazing
Part of self love is our relationship to ourselves, our bodies and food – why not make it great!!

You don’t need any reason to have love or self love, you are here, alive and really just perfect the way you are – see it, feel it, believe it and know it.

You so deserve it!!!

Would love any feedback

Jodi