Eating Better For Your Body, Mind & Soul

My relationship with overall wellness started years before I knew there was a name for it. It was tumultuous during the first few years of my fitness journey because my relationship with food got worse. I was swept up into the ‘clean eating’ world at an age where I was naive. It was true, I was extremely naive at the time. Eventually I found a way to eating better and a way to mend it, but that came with its scars. As a result, I was able to build better habits that extended past my physical health. That led me to studying more about the topic to see that nutrition and wellness surrounds us daily.

When we think about nutrition and wellness, what thoughts come to your mind? For many people, nutrition is only focused on food and what is on their plate. Yet nutrition or to nourish yourself extends past eating better. It is about nourishing your life with time spent in nature, staying hydrated and moving your body. In addition, it’s about strengthening and maintaining your relationships, self-care routines, creativity, positive self-talk and more. Moreover, it’s about everything we consume. From meals to music, and conversations both online and offline. It’s about what brings you energy and what depletes it.

By combining both nutrition and wellness, we become aware that eating better for our bodies, minds and souls is the key to promoting our health and happiness. Once we actively choose to intentionally feed these areas, not only do we have a better relationship with ourselves but also, that energy begins to pour into the lives of the people around us.

Your Personal Wellness Journey

Your personal wellness journey is about living and thriving in your life. It is an individualised approach that centres you including your mental and emotional health. The only person that gets to decide what thriving means in your life is you. There are some foundational wellness habits that you should adopt such as spending time outside and exploring the world, self care routines and prioritising rest. Furthermore, nutrition is one of many aspects of wellness that integrates all forms of health. Eating better for your body, soul and mind transforms the relationship that you have with yourself. You learn to nourish yourself with education and conversation that determines what works for your lifestyle, which transitions you into a more balanced and fulfilling version of yourself.

Eating Better For A Healthier Version Of You

I thrive off routine and have done for decades. One of the ways that I ensure that I am eating better for a healthier version of myself is ensuring that I’m focused on eating whole and nutrient dense foods the majority of the time. While working from home or in an office, there are always distractions and temptations that can derail you from the goals that you have set for yourself. Now I know that this approach may not be for everyone but I found meal prepping in advance has helped me disregard the temptations. There are two reasons for that:

1. I don’t like spending unnecessary money
2. I cook dishes that I enjoy and look forward to eating

I think this is where meal prepping gets a bad rap and is very annoying for most people. Most people believe eating healthier is synonymous to bland and boring food. That is further from the truth. I believe that eating healthier gives you room to develop your cooking skills and techniques. In addition, it’s an opportunity to explore other cuisines. For example whenever I travel, I try my best to take a cooking class. I believe that is one of the best ways to learn more about that country’s culture and history. Moreover, food is meant to be enjoyed. Why not learn how to integrate other cuisines into my weekly meal preps? That is something that I’ve starting to do this week.

Eating better and travel

During the winter, I like to eat more curries, soups and stews. Those type of meals remind me that winter does not have to be dreary. It can be just as exciting as the other seasons. Life is what you make it and food is definitely what you make it. This week I’ve decided to make Thai green curry from scratch using the spices that I brought back from my trip to Thailand last year.

When you are trying to eat better for a healthier version of you, disregard what you think your food should like. Create and cook food for your soul. Ethnic dishes are some of the healthiest foods that you can eat. They are cooked with love and fresh ingredients that have not been heavily processed. Even if you can’t travel to explore another cuisine, buy a cookbook and find the enjoyment to eating better.

You Are What You Consume

I like to start my mornings with exercise for my body, mind and soul. For my mind, I usually start with podcasts, learning something new on some days and reading every night. What your mind consumes controls your life. I learnt this concept during my first year of powerlifting from my coach and it has stuck with me since. I’m sure that you have heard or read that you have got to be careful what you consume on social media as it can affect your mindset. As our world becomes increasingly divided and misinformation is running rampant, it is more important now than ever to be conscious of what our minds are consuming. In addition, it’s equally important that you do not allow the negativity to occupy your thoughts and change the very essence of who you are.

Starting my day with motivational podcasts such as Slay Girl Slay or reading material that stimulates my mind has become as unconscious as eating food. In the last few years, I’ve become stricter with what I am consuming because sometimes the mind can become a dark and creepy place, if you allow negative thoughts and emotions to fester. Eating better for your mind means filling it with positive emotions and building happiness through the exploration of experiences. Whether that is taking a calligraphy class, taking a pottery class, painting, writing and more, consume materials and experiences that are going to elevate the quality of your life.

Eating Better To Transform The Relationship With Yourself

I believe that nourishing your soul is about taking the steps to find peace with yourself and pouring the right energy into yourself. Learning to be present in the moment and acknowledging your current season regardless of the challenges that you may or may not be facing. Some of thing that come to mind regarding eating better for your soul are:

• Growing plants as watching something grow is a great way to relieve stress and can be therapeutic.
• Minimising our time in the digital space to focus on building healthier emotional and mental spaces.
• Reading more books, I’m trying to create a balance between self help books and fiction this year
• Spending time in nature can do wonders for the souls and there is nothing like breathing fresh air.
• Adopting an attitude of gratitude: there is so many things that each of us can be grateful for in our lives.

Eating better for your body, mind and soul is learning how to take care of the whole so you can feel and show up in the world at your best. It’s about prioritising and adopting lifestyle changes to create the life you deserve to live.

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What lessons has eating better taught you about yourself. I hope that this post has given you a fresh perspective looking at both nutrition and wellness. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi