We are what we eat – on the out- and inside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For most people it is a no-brainer, that what we eat and in which quantities, affects how we look on the outside: the size and firmness of our bellies, thighs, hips and arms… However, I find it absolutely surprising how little aware many of us still are when it comes to the connection between diet and our mental or emotional well-being.

As our stress levels, responsibilities, daily pressures and tasks skyrocket, our diet gets more and more compromised and so does our mood, happiness, ability to nurture our most important needs, wants, desires and to live a life of purpose. We fill our shopping baskets with quick snacks, pre-cooked meals and maybe, if we are working hard to be a little bit more health-conscious, the latest wonder-protein-shake to make more time in our crazily busy lives and stay on top of our never-ending to-do-lists. As we are feeling more and more low, heavy, anxious and nervous about our futures and daily routines, almost without noticing the unhealthy cycle of needing more of those processed foods full of sugar and unhealthy trans fats to lift this heavy veil of darkish-ness off our minds and let those happy hormones surge instead…. At least for a tiny moment before it all comes crashing down again and we seem to plummet even deeper down into our moody, depressed lives.

I know I painted quite a negative picture here, but unfortunately this more often than not describes only too well the emotional roller-coaster too many are riding on a daily basis as result of a diet that primarily consists of packaged foods.

The next time you feel anxious, overwhelmed, low, depressed, unable to cope, carefully think back to what you are nourishing and nurturing your endlessly busy brain with. Are you lovingly feeding it healthy fats from ecologically sourced fish, organic free-range eggs without traces of antibiotics, plentiful of fresh fruit and vegetables in all the colours of the rainbow, natural nuts and seeds, beans and pulses, and are you sitting down when you are eating, chewing your foods properly….

Very sadly, it is mostly my experience that you are not. Your brain however needs all of those foods to be able to work and function at its best, to be able to produce happy hormones and make you feel good. All those processed foods that are completely void of important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other uplifting phytonutrients keep you as mental and emotional beings undernourished causing unwelcome side-effects such as depression, anxiety, unproductivity, imbalance, hormonal turmoil, more stress, ….

In addition, all this junk food rids your gut of healthy bacteria and tips your balance of unhealthy to healthy bacteria over, in favour of the unhealthy ones. These little guys, however, are not your best friends with only your best interest at heart. Instead they too are known to have a causal relationship with increased stress levels, depression, anxiety, autism and other disorders.

But don’t despair – not all is lost. There is always room for change and all of these symptoms and unhealthy cycles can be, with time, a healthy diet and loving relationship with your gorgeous self, reversed. Our bodies are truly amazing and very forgiving: they will always try and make utmost use of what you nourish them with so you can be the best, most productive, happy and self-fulfilled version of yourself.

It is my firm belief that a healthy, balanced diet bursting with lots of colour, freshness and green goodness, is the only one that fits into our full-on-totally-overburdened lives.  It is my experience that this is the only way we can keep up with our hurried, speedy lives, have enough energy to do it all, enough strength to set firm boundaries when things are actually going overboard and to role-model self-nurture and sustainability to our children and next generations of fast-food. Give your heart a little push and jump into the healthful unknown: you will be surprised how very quick, delicious, fulfilling and innovative wholesome cooking and meal prepping. Best of all you will find that you are not only winning your healthy mind, emotions and happy self, back by seriously committing to some wholefoods but also two of your most precious resources: time and money.

 

 

 

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