Positive Thinking Eating
If I didn’t go into nutrition and dietetics, I would have gone after a positive psychology degree. Positive thinking is an emerging subject. There is a lot of research supporting positive emotions and increased health. Currently in my summer religion course we are reading God, Faith, and Health by Levin. It is a great read relating positive emotion and faith to good health.
Brief overview of positive thinking
I have read so many books now about "positive thinking" and "changing your perspective" to realize that the law of attraction is the common denominator. The Law of Attraction is a real law (like gravity) in which what you think/feel is attracted into your physical life. Everything is vibrating. Your laptop, your hands, the walls, the air. Your feelings also give off a frequency. You know the difference between a negative feeling and a positive feeling. Well each emotion gives off a different frequency into the world. By the Law of Attraction, this vibration goes off into the universe and will return one way or another. So that Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would like done unto you" is basically the same thing. What you give off into the world (kindness, love, anger) is what you'll receive back.
Positive Thinking and Diet
About 90% of the people I come in contact with diet or have some sort of food restriction. I don’t know the mindset of that person but having a restrictive relationship with food is not healthy. Extreme restrictive diets are not affective. They might be working in the moment, but not long-term. Most of those 90% crash dieters already know that making it a lifestyle change is more healthful.
I want to encourage a new idea: Positive eating. You can compare this to mindful eating. However, “positive eating” is feeling positive emotions before and after eating. No guilt. No shame. Only love, satisfaction and gratitude.
This sounds nuts! Like I haven’t heard that one before… Yes it sounds crazy to be grateful and feel love for the food you eat but those who pray and bless food before meal times are doing a similar thing. After eating a meal or snack, you should feel reenergized!
Positive Eating Challenge
This is a 30 days challenge.
DAY 1-10: The first 10 days are simple. Be grateful before and after eating each meal. You can bless your food, pray, whatever you feel is comfortable. For example: "I am so grateful for this food because it is going to nourish my body and increase my health!" You can give thanks in your head or out loud. Get you spouse, family, and friends to join you!
DAY 11-20: Try mindful eating. This includes not rushing! With each bite, savor the flavor and "experience" the food. This exercise will come in handy when you are craving something sweet. After a few bites of eating something sweet, our taste buds get used to the flavor. So the first couple bites should really be enjoyed and perhaps that will be all you need.
DAY 21-30: Guilt-free meals! If you want to eat a donut, do it! Having a treat every once in a while is totally fine. Restriction is what causes binging and weight gain. When you eat a cookie and think "I'm going to gain weight from eating this", you probably are due to the Law of Attraction. Don't feel any guilt when treating yourself.
Gratitude is the first step into feeling happier.
And it is the first step in having a good relationship with food. Be grateful!
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