Mind, body and soul sessions (#10)

Go for real Happy Meals.

No, no, no, I am not talking about McDonald’s Happy Meals here. I am talking about food that will make you feel good and happier.

We live in a fast-paced world; everything has to happen immediately, right now and quickly. Some of us don’t even take the time to enjoy a nice meal anymore. Eating has become something you do while you are doing something else. A lot of people eat while they watch TV, work on their computer or read a book. Where is the pleasure in that? How can you savour your meal when you are not consciously eating? Some people are so preoccupied, they don’t even taste what they eat and that’s a real shame. Food needs to be enjoyed.
There are even some people around who have never ever prepared a real meal in their life. Why would you, in this world where fast-food is widely available? Well, because it’s fun and relaxing and because you get to pick and choose all the ingredients yourself.
And of course there are people in this lose-weight-fast culture, who get caught up in the latest fashion diet. What’s going on here people? Why are we losing sense of what food is really meant to do? Food is not the enemy, food is our friend.

Every day we need good food to nourish and power every cell in our body. Just like a car, our body needs the right kind of fuel to function properly. Every cell needs a steady supply of energy to perform optimally and that energy comes from each bite we take. Sure our bodies can manage to survive on insufficient or mediocre fuel, but why not go for the best performance possible. Believe it or not, you are what you eat, emotionally and physically, so give your body the best fuel available.

To get you started, here are some nutrition guidelines to boost your energy levels and to make you feel better.

• Eat a combination of carbs, protein and fat at regular intervals to keep your energy levels high throughout the day.
• Eat healthy snacks every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar level stable.
• Drink water and keep water handy at all times. Dehydration cause tiredness and makes you feel hungry.
• Avoid caffeine, sugary sodas and sweetened drinks.
• Eat plenty fruits (or choose fresh juice if you don’t like eating fruit) and vegetables.
• Fried or fatty foods can make you feel lethargic. Choose natural and unprocessed foods.
• Choose whole grains and complex carbs over refined grains and sugars.
• Increase your sources of protein with nuts, seeds, fish, beans and tofu.

There are all sorts of rules and guidelines out there and some of them might work better for you then others. Give them a try and find out what works for you. To much trouble, try this. The most basic thing you can do towards eating better is to ask yourself at every meal, is this food going to make me feel better or worse? Try guidelines and think about how your body feels at the end of the day.

Savour every bite and enjoy your meal!!