Avoiding Body Clutter

Dear Friends,

This week, I've learned two lessons (the one I am explaining here was a do-over; I needed to revisit it again!) that I want to share with you because they are so pertinent to Moving in May. Here's the first one:

Less is More. You understand that principle and live that reality when you declutter your houses and find a home hidden under all that clutter! But it's not an all or nothing proposition; when you are decluttering you still need to keep SOME stuff! If you didn't, what would you pour your morning coffee into?

Eating healthier requires a sort of mental decluttering first (that's what our book Body Clutter is about) and understanding: we need to eat as close to nature as we can so we can optimize the nutrition we get from our food. We need to understand it's not just about
getting rid of the hunger nor is it just about the enjoyability of the food (though there is NOTHING wrong with enjoying your food)—it's about fueling your body so you are able to find your purpose and mission in life—this is so important! How can you reach your destination with nothing in your tank?

Just like a car, the fuel you need is quite specific. There are certain ratios, balances and octane levels that must be in that fuel for your car to run. This is no different than you or your family. You NEED nutrients for your body to function—this is not an option; it is a requirement. If you're filling up on inferior fuel, it's just a matter of time before it catches up with you and your body starts to misfire with health issues. Not only that but because you've deprived your body of nutrient-rich food, your appetite swings out of control because it is seeking what it needs--nutrients! It's a crazy, out of control cycle that sets us up—our body is screaming for nutrients and is saying "I'm hungry" and instead of getting the nutrients, it gets a fast food burger or something out of a box with 3 inches of unpronounceable ingredients written on the side of the package—all negative nutrition. Then an hour or so later, your body screams "I'm hungry" again, why? Because it hasn't had enough calories? NO, when you neglect to eat nutrient-rich food and fill up on nutrient-poor food, your body is still "hungry" for the nutrition it lacks and didn't get.

This is so important-- you reap what you sow when it comes to food and not just in having to trade up to larger jeans, either. This principle hits us in our very cores and will take down our health just as surely as 2 + 2 = 4. You cannot fool your body.

There is more to this lesson and I learned it (again) today as I was making my breakfast. I had a MorningStar soy breakfast sausage patty this morning (YUM—they're in the frozen section of the grocery store and much better than regular sausage, in my opinion!) and a Van's Flax waffle (frozen and also yummy) with a teaspoon of almond butter over the top. Now, I was hungry this morning. I worked out hard and I was JUST about to fix myself TWO sausage patties and TWO frozen waffles. I said to myself, "I worked out hard. I DESERVE this." That's when I realized what I didn't "deserve" to do was overeat. I don't ever deserve to do that to myself! I need to see overeating as not loving myself, because it hurts me. It makes me feel guilty, it makes my body hold on to body clutter or gain it, it makes feel stuffed and bloated, it makes me feel BAD! I needed exactly HALF of what I was going to eat. Just because it's good food and a good choice, doesn't give me permission to strap on the feedbag!

About a month ago, I was at a little gas station outside of my town putting gas in my car. This was an older gas station and you had to go inside to pay, so you know what I mean when I say older! Anyway, it at least had the thingie on the gas pump that allowed you to fill up your car without having to hold it the whole time. Well…guess what happened? It didn't automatically turn off and the gas was spewing out of my car! I gave my car too much gas because I didn't personally regulate what I was putting in.

That's EXACTLY the lesson I learned (relearned) this morning. Even if it's the right fuel, there is such a thing as too much! This morning I personally regulated myself. I had one waffle with almond butter on it and I had one soy sausage patty. Afterwards, I was still a little hungry, but in just 15 minutes and after drinking some water (there's that magical 15 minute marker again), I realized I wasn't hungry anymore. By giving my body the CHANCE to catch up with what I had just eaten, I was completely satisfied. I just needed a little time, is all.

So, with all that said, here's a little mission for you—when you make a healthy choice, also make a choice to eat what you need, not what your eyes are saying you want. If you are drinking your water and giving yourself the time to digest, in 15 minutes you will not be hungry anymore and you will experience that small victory of loving yourself enough to stop!

Love,
Leanne