Living Intentionally: Feeding our Bodies

Hi friends! I hope that if you've read this series, you've maybe gotten some good nuggets. If not, that's okay too, because the reality is, I did this more as a stretch for myself than anything. To get creative juices flowing, to learn to write a little better, etc. I am learning things I'd do differently next year, and I'm excited to expand my blog topics. 

Yesterday we touched on moving our bodies. I hope you were encouraged. I hope you found some motivation or resources in the links I shared. I hope you were able to set some simple goals regarding how you plan to be intentional with this. Remember it doesn't have to be hard, just do something. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from the store entrance, walk the track while your kids have practice or before games. 

Today I thought we'd end our Body portion talking about being intentional about feeding our bodies. Again, I'm not perfect at this, but I know I've made great strides compared to years ago and I'm always willing to learn more because there is so much to learn.

What we choose to fuel our bodies with is important whether we are trying to lose weight or just in our day to day living. 

But I also think it's important to evaluate first and foremost our relationship with food. Are we emotional eaters? Do we live to eat or eat to live? Are we afraid of food? Do we feel pressure from everything we see out there in the media as to what we should and shouldn't do, eat or buy? Do we feel guilty when we eat? It can all be daunting. Been there done that! Tired of it. 

One of my biggest issues years ago, was that I would, say, go to a potluck and it was almost like I'd say "oh, my, I need to eat everything and a lot of it because I may never have this again"..um..well, that was a lie, because, of course that wouldn't be the last time I had whatever it was, and even if it was, it wasn't going to kill me. And it was almost like I didn't have a "full" switch so I could eat and eat and not ever really get that "full" feeling. I knew I needed to change my thinking and re-train my brain. 

Take a look through your kitchen. What foods do you find? How often do you go out to fast food or even just restaurants in general? Do you read labels when you shop? Do you take vitamins and supplements? How much water do you drink? These are all great questions we need to ask ourselves. Because they tell us a lot about what we are putting in our bodies. 

I know that the topic of food can be touchy because there are so many opinions out there so I won't go too much into it other than what I think are the general most important things we should think about and what our own family tries to do and you can decide what is best for your family. 

For me, it is always more beneficial to make small changes a little at a time. This keeps me from getting overwhelmed and the changes are more likely to stick! 

Here are some things we have done in our home:

1) Less sugary drinks, more water. The only juice we usually have in the house is Orange Juice and it's usually organic or a brand like Floridas Own...none of that Sunny D stuff.

2) More whole foods. There is not much in our kitchen that is processed or pre-packaged. Canned foods are more like beans, tomato sauce, etc. and I try to buy organic.

3) More fruits and Vegetables.

4) When eating out we try to find places that source locally and hopefully organic. When we eat elsewhere we really try to limit those places and make smart choices.

5) Sharing meals when eating out. My husband and began sharing meals years ago because we realize that the portions we were being served were more than enough for two people. Now, sometimes we get our own meals, but more often than not, we share.

6. Read, read, read, labels. I try to buy products and brands that have the fewest ingredients. I learn what ingredients to avoid.

7. Choose organic or local when possible, but if it's not possible look for the next best thing. So for example I shop at Safeway often I will buy their Open Nature Brand because while not always organic, has better ingredients than some other brands. I buy my eggs from a friend and often some of my chicken from her too.

8. The key is choosing better ingredients. Do your research to find out what restaurants are better options than others. You might spend a little more, but it's worth it, I think. 

9) Make more meals at home. If you are a busy working family, try using your crockpot or make freezer meals. Keep pizza dough in the freezer to take out and thaw to make your own homemade pizza.

10) Include your kids in the kitchen. Teach them good habits now. 

11) Incorporate vitamins and supplements, but make sure they are quality and don't have a lot of fillers. 

12) I like using essential oils though not as much as I'd like to.

13) Incorporating whole food smoothies and juices. 

14) Portion Control. I began eating off of a salad plate because I wasn't as tempted to fill the plate and I found I was satisfied. I try to be mindful of when I am actually physically hungry and eating then, and then stopping when I'm satisfied. 

15) Carry healthy snacks in your car or purse. I need to be better at this.

So, those are just a few things we do. I've learned to cook vegan, gluten free, you name it, etc...and incorporate a variety of those things and more in our eating because I feel like it's important to mix things up and incorporate variety in our diets. I love to do soups because they're healthy, easy, and often inexpensive for feeding a lot of people.

I love following pages and websites that talk about healthier eating, but I also love my cooking shows that don't. lol. Every now and then I'll throw in some creamy, not exactly healthy dish to a meal, but I try to use the best ingredients and it's not that often we do it so I don't feel guilty. I am a believer in moderation. 

It's all about being mindful and intentional, whatever you choose to do. I'm not always great about eating breakfast or even thinking of myself when it comes to eating so I need to work on being intentional with that. I've gotten much better with breakfast. 

I know that things can be more expensive, but do your research. When I have time, I shop at several different stores because I've learned who has the best deals on what. I look at ads. I pick and choose, and sometimes we go without if I can't find the item I want or it's too expensive. But you may also find that if you stop buying pop, you'll have more money to put into something else. 


Here are some of my favorite websites and Facebook pages:

Food Babe
Dr. Oz
Food Matters
Tasty 
Clean Food Crush
Whole 30 Recipes
Reluctant Entertainer
Food Faith Fitness
Just Eat Real Food

I have many others but too many to list. Also search my own blog for recipes. You can friend me on my personal page to see more pages I like, or follow my pinterest boards for more recipes I've pinned or health ideas. I have a hodge podge of stuff on there. 

Tomorrow we'll jump into being intentional in the area of our soul. Can't wait!


With Joy Unquenchable,