Second Step into a Healthier Diet

Have fun! Life is supposed to be fun – so do your best to enjoy it!

What does this have to do with a healthier diet?

Not many of us realise how important the role of our emotional state plays with regards to our food consumption.

There are two main reasons why having fun is so important to our diet.

First, when we enjoy life, when we are truly happy and joyful, laughing our hearts out for no apparent reason – we tend to think about food in a very positive way.

If food is eaten without any feelings of guilt, or negative thoughts (“this food is bad for me but I really feel like it” or “too many calories but I’ll start dieting tomorrow”) then anything you eat is really good for you!

Approaching food from a place of restriction – “I shouldn’t be eating this because it will make me feel bad later” – is generally not a good idea. And when we are shining and loving and appreciating our life, these thoughts do not tend to occupy our mind. Instead, the thoughts that accompany food are positive (“this food is so delicious, I’m so blessed to be able to enjoy this wonderful snack!”) and seem to influence the way we digest our food, our metabolic rate, and the assimilation of nutrients from whatever it is we are eating.

Which brings me to another reason of why a cheerful disposition is so beneficial when wanting to adopt a healthier diet. Being happy does not only make us feel better physically, we also tend to make the right decisions. And when I say “right”, I mean by that, the choices that make us feel even better. Because when life is fun and joyous and exciting and vibrant – why would we ever choose something that makes us feel any worse than optimal?

When it comes to eating a healthy diet, if we have lots of amazing moments, and each morning we wake up smiling with anticipation of what the day might bring with it, there is a natural tendency to eat food that is beneficial to us. This is when usually our intuition is very strong and it directs us to choose the food that will enhance our elevated state of mind.

So now to the tricky part… How do we live a life full of joy and happiness and excitement? Obviously, the answer is different to each and every one of us. A good start is to write down a list of tiny small things that make you happy – such as going to the beach; looking at the stars at night; listening to your favourite musician; patting a dog on the street; smelling a flower on the way to catch the bus, etc. Make the list as long as you can, and include the smallest things that really require hardly any effort on your behalf. It’s also a good idea to mainly select those things that don’t cost any money – which makes them even more appealing.

Then decide to do at least one of these things EVERY DAY.

Don’t let any day of your life pass before you make sure you actively did at least one thing that really makes you happy and puts a smile on your face.

When you get into the habit, there’s a good chance you’ll be doing more and more things from your list every day, until all of a sudden you reach a stage where your day is literally filled with joyous exciting events and every little moment is precious.

The path to a healthier diet is intertwined with living a joyous life; do yourself a favour and simply HAVE FUN!!!

Comments

[Tam]

LOVE it, I was actually thinking the other day, how I believe you can gain excess weight from being negative about your food choices.

You explain it well, and I totally agree that when you feel brighter and lighter, you tend to make lighter and brighter food choices.

Nourishing your soul as well as your body ;)