Food First

The way we eat makes us - and the planet - sick. Everyone except for you and me, of course: it's those other people who don't eat right. Actually, most people I know and work with are making many good choices, but often not consistently. Most of us would benefit from thinking about food and eating differently.

I had lots of time to think about how we use food as I attended two conferences last month. One was a four day event called "Food as Medicine" and the other was a one day workshop called "Steps to Mindful Eating." The first was very technical and provided a chance to learn new things and validate my understanding of the changing nutritional landscape. The second gave me some new techniques to use and was a great reminder that eating is a sacred activity when we do it with awareness.

The role of food and agriculture was on my mind as I watched the inauguration of our new president. I am hopeful that policy changes will support healthier eating. I was particularly struck by Obama's message that we need to each be personally responsible as we bring about the change that we want to see. I suspect this will take on new meaning in the months ahead, but right away I can see how it applies to health and making responsible choices.

It's not easy to eat healthy in our American culture. Yes, we have access to a great variety of foods - but we also suffer from having so much. As my clients sometimes remind me, it can be hard to pass up so much tasty food. It's there, so we eat it.

Even people with less access to food have a conundrum. Fast food is abundant and cheap: it is now possible to be both obese and malnourished at the same time! Who would have thought that could happen?

We need to change how we think about food and eating, and change our relationship with it. Getting stricter doesn't help. Being overly restrictive backfires, as anyone who has "fallen off" a diet knows. Our tendency is to overcompensate for what we deny ourselves. It is a struggle to make good food choices because we should. That just doesn't sustain our resolve for very long.

So while what we eat does matter, I think it is more helpful to think about the healing power of food. What we eat communicates with our bodies at the cellular level. Food is information. It is even more powerful than our genes. Our genetic make-up predisposes us to certain illnesses - but it is the environment that turns the genes on or off. Food plays a big role in this.

The food you eat switches on or off various biochemical responses. While you are enjoying bread and cheese at an event, the bread (which is usually refined) and cheese (which is a saturated fat) are activating compounds that promote inflammation. Volume makes a big difference - where the body might be able to handle small amounts, large portions can overwhelm it.

We need more than just will power or motivation to make the diet and lifestyle changes that keep us well. Although as individuals, we are each inspired by different things, here are a few thoughts that could help shift the way you see it.

Natural Healing: Instead of relying on medications to "fix" you, start with food and lifestyle. How we eat affects blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as our risk for most chronic diseases. Start with diet, exercise and sleep: these are the most likely to actually cure you. Most medicines only lessen symptoms and keep you from getting worse. You may still need medicine, but ultimately it's your healthy habits that will make you better and/or improve the quality of your life.

Awareness: Making conscious choices about what you put in your mouth makes a huge difference. When you are paying attention, you are less likely to want to fill up with "junk" calories. Before you laugh this off, try eating with all your senses. Mindful eating involves really experiencing your food - appreciate the colors and textures, relish the aroma and flavor, and fully savor it. I've had a surprising number of people tell me that treats they used to like no longer appealed to them once they tuned in.

Wellbeing: How you eat affects how you feel. Next time you over-indulge, instead of feeling guilty just notice how it makes you feel physically. You may feel sluggish, tired, bloated and generally uncomfortable. Eating sweets tends to give you a quick energy boost and then a crash. Healthy choices keep your energy stable and more even, especially when you eat regularly and avoid getting overly hungry. When you eat right for you, you just feel better. It's a noticeable difference, one that creates its own internal motivation.

Sacred Energy: If you have a spiritual practice, make food part of it. Think of where food comes from. Picture sun and soil, and the hands and lives involved in getting it to your plate. Do shopping, cooking, and eating in a connected way. An unknown Zen master once said, "Enlightenment is simply this: When I walk, I walk. When I eat, I eat. When I sleep, I sleep." This is being present with the experience - something that is harder than it sounds. Food is even more nourishing when we eat with intention and make it an important activity.

Self Care: Many of you spend your lives taking care of other people. This can be good, as long as you remember to replenish yourself. We often use food to take care of ourselves in unhealthy ways - eating when we are not hungry and using food to mask our exhaustion or loneliness or other uncomfortable feelings. Choosing healthy foods is a more empowered way for you to take good care of YOU. After all, taking care of you is your responsibility. Don't expect someone else to do it, and don't put it off until some later time. You can't wait until the kids are grown or the big project is completed - you need to eat well now to stay healthy.

Food is an amazing thing. It is beautiful. Even healthy foods taste great, especially when prepared with skill. If you don't feel very skilled, consider taking classes or joining Slow Foods (www.slowfood.com). Search for recipes online and check out some of the great food blogs. I have some recipes and cooking tips on my blog (see below), and my friend the Veggie Queen offers vegetarian recipes in her newsletter: www.VeggieQueen.com.

Food first: eating well can help us weather the economic storm, enjoy more vitality, and feel more optimistic. It keeps us healthy. Eating well also heals the earth. When we choose foods grown by farmers who replenish the soil and respect their animals, we heal more than ourselves.

Kathy Nichols is the Healthy Habits Coach. As a registered dietitian and certified life coach, Kathy helps people who are tired of diets and feeling guilty find a way of eating that is sustainable, healthy and enjoyable. website: http://healthyhabitscoach.com blog: http://healthyhabitscoach.wordpress.com