This is very much a daily passion for me. As a Holistic Health Practitioner, I understand the importance of a healthy food relationship and one that doesn’t break the bank. We have a family of six plus a furry member that are whole foodies. Yes, our dog is a whole foodie. This is how we make the most of our budget and food relationships.
Healthy food and meals can loose their excitement. Especially when you take away the fats, sugar, and salt. Let’s just be real honest. Wait, I am to entice you to eat healthy. Hang with me.
Decades ago salt was left by the way side as a primary means to flavor food for me. We are in deep with spices and herbs. By this I mean I get way too excited when they go on sale and enjoy picking them out. I am in deep. I love the choices, options, and various ways to can make different flavor profiles. I love that my food doesn’t taste bland and doesn’t cause me to bloat (salt does! bastard). Even better, this is a friends with benefits relationship. Most spices reduce inflammation which benefits your digestive system, joints, muscles, heart, and brain. Brain and body love. Certain herbs aid in memory and concentration, are rich in vitamins (some even have iron!), boost immune systems, and fight free radicals with antioxidants. If you are not familiar with free radicals, those are the bullies who pick on your healthy cells which may lead to cancer and other diseases. You are constantly surrounded by free radicals. Herbs are a great free radical bully buster. Food love with benefits.
Herbs and Spices: The Basics to Your Food Relationship
There are some things you need to know.
Some spices and herbs may not be safe if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. Most help with that but a few may need to be run by your doctor. This is noted with that particular spice and herb below. Please practice spice safety.
Herbs come in two forms: still looks like the plant (fresh) or confetti (dried). Dried herbs store for longer periods of time and organic in a glass container is recommended.
Spices can be whole or ground.
Dried spices and herbs are more at home in a dry, cool place. They don’t do well in direct sunlight. Let them live their vampire existence in a dry cabinet away from heat.
Herbs & Spices
Now what?
Got you. These herbs and spices are great for staples to any recipe, but they are great additions to many food relationship encounters
There is a personal matter with one specific resolution. My goal in wellness coaching is to work with individuals towards their unique dreams while tacking specific hurdles to that person. However, I hear and see this resolution everywhere and with clarity: dieting and body perceptions. It’s the time of newness we are inundated with images of gyms, diets, shakes, scales, plans, and images. A lot is valuable and can be an asset, the danger lies in your why and body perception.
My own journey back to well after having my son started with weight loss then snowballed into aha moments of tackling mental wellness and all kinds of curve balls along the way. One simple resolve to set a goal in losing baby weight was what I needed. That all said. I didn’t diet. I changed it. I did shakes for nutrition but also love my chocolate and pizza. OMG olives and bacon. I work out but found being gentle is more important for my particular body capabilities. I “listened” with filters, figured out what works for me, found grace, and made permanent changes along the way. In the mix, it was a real fight to address body perceptions. At first, my victories were not happy. Because I wasn’t skinny. As my mental health rose with my physical health, I realized how unbelievably dumb this is. Then the step of anger came. It’s so frustrating being in an industry that bombards you with images of perfection and “how-tos.” The most pinned recipes I had for a long time had the word “skinny.” I had to step away and get perspective. Thankfully, changes in how health and wellness looks are happening. It’s imperative you understand that healthy looks different. Resentment for those who are “skinny” isn’t acceptable and those who may be slightly overweight or not have a certain look can be healthy too and it’s not your judgment call. Healthy has different forms and its an internal affair. As you navigate what is your highest wellness, please keep these few things in mind.
It’s an Internal Affair
Its how you love on your self and accept your creation. Its finding your value in your gifts and talents. It’s what you eat to healing and promote physical function. It’s discovering your favorite ways or may be tolerable ways to move to gear up your body and brain. It about you.
Fight the Expectation of Extremes, Un-realities, and Fads.
Dieting sucks. It rarely works. It’s often harmful. While there are common threads in nutrition, there are differences that work for everyone. If you want to lose weight- professionals and common sense eating. Nutritionist, health coach, wellness coach, doctors, or take a nutrition course yourself — I don’t care how. Just please, do not put your body, mind, and soul on that yo-yo or in potential harm. Look for meaningful change in your lifestyle. There are plans, points, and programs out there that can help. Know that whatever change you make, its a long term change. Then keep the scale in perspective. Your weight fluctuates naturally and it can stall out for a time being. Trust your process and listen when things aren’t working in over an extended period of time. A professional can help you guide this. In all this scale talk, muscle weighs more than fat. After I lost weight, I gained some back and still doing a little. My waistline and measurements are not going in a negative direction. I am strengthening and seeing those results. Scale, overall feeling, and all measurements should be taken into account. Make those changes stick. Stopping the yo-yo means cutting the cord to go back.
Work It Out For You
Rarely do I find going to the gym enjoyable. I love my personal yoga studio and going to yoga studios. I love being outside. I love joining others in their active passions every once and while. Wonderful people own and go to gyms. It’s their thing. Some its kickboxing. Just a walk. Refit. Zumba. Pilates. Be open to anything and get to know you. Someone’s passion may become a shared passion. Or it may be love from a distance. Do not feel you have to run or do extremes. I love challenging myself and working within limitations, aerial yoga is for me. Work it for you.
Have grace in those pitfalls and don’t let it stop you getting back on your path. Love yourself while you create a greater you.
