Understanding how the mind and body communicate can help you tap into this connection through the food you consume. The brain and body are connected through neurotransmitters, hormones and chemicals, and signals are constantly being passed through these pathways. This is how you are able to control your everyday functions like breathing, digestion, pain sensation, movement, thinking and feeling.
How is your mind and body connected when it comes to food choices and fueling your body? “There is definitely a strong connection between your mind and eating habits. Oftentimes we eat to buffer negative emotions. Rather than processing our emotions fully, we eat to avoid truly feeling them. The problem with this is that overeating has a further net negative consequence; guilt, shame, or health issues, and only amplifies or prolongs our experience with those negative emotions.” explains Life Coach for Women Jamie Marshall
Coach Jay of Wellness Worthy emphasizes developing the connection between your mind and body can come from journaling and tracking. “Some positive methods that someone can do to navigate a connection with their mind and body to food would be to keep a “food journal” over 14 to 30 days; tracking all meals, drinks, and snacks eaten over the course of time and your mind and body’s reaction (if any) to them. This will enlighten your awareness to see what foods are causing you fluctuations in your moods and/or physical ailments,”
If this is still something hard for you to navigate, try some of the these tips:
Explore your food issues mindfully: Trying to understand why certain foods make you feel the way they do is hard work. Taking a deep dive mentally and physically will help you make food choices that not only make you feel good, but remove any guilt or anxiety that may be associated with that food choice.
Prepare for each meal by calming the body: Preparing your food in a mindful way (without feeling rushed) will help your body and digestive system react to food in a more holistic way.
Be mindful about each bite: As you consume each bite take the time to truly take in what you are consuming. Observe the warmth or coldness of the food, the flavor, the spices used. Additionally explore food emotionally, observe the emotional effects certain foods have on your emotions.
These practices can help you look at yourself and food in an entirely different way. It can help you see yourself as more than a body or something that needs to be fixed but rather a soul that needs to be fueled. For more mindful eating tips, and it is so important, check out these suggestions.
