Welcome back to the 10-part series on the seven areas of living magically! Today we are going to talk about the fourth area, nutrition magic. Unlike sleep magic, brain magic, and relaxation magic, this is not a core area.
What?! Seems weird, right? That’s because we’re often told that nutrition and exercise are at the core of well-being. While both of these areas are extremely important, they are not the foundation. We’re going to talk about why. This may change the way you look at things. Then, we’re going to talk about how you can optimize nutrition for overall well-being.
Nutrition Magic Plus the Foundation
Okay, let’s get right into it. How often have you tried to eat differently and then struggled to stick to it? From an American perspective, our society does not make it easier. Certain components of choosing healthy foods were easier when we lived overseas. Still, it wasn’t perfect. Foods that lead to obesity, for example, are so tempting. This goes against weight loss goals.
How It All Changed
To understand, let’s consider why those foods are so tempting. We need to eat in order to live. Our bodies and minds need nutrients to survive. It hasn’t always been easy for humans to get food. Humans may have gone extinct had the drive to find and eat food not been so strong. Now it’s so easy to get food. There’s food everywhere. This has been studied in the nutrition transition. Lots of people all over the world used to die of starvation. Then the phase of famine transitioned into a phase of obesity and diseases related to obesity. Of course, starvation due to lack of food still happens in some populations. That’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about the majority of Americans, for example, and other parts of the world where obesity is an issue.
Instead of people dying from not getting enough food, people are dying from complications related to too much food. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are getting enough nutrients. Often, they are not getting enough nutrients. As commercial farming and processed food increased, food changed. It started to include more artificial ingredients that the human body was never meant to consume. At the same time, there has been a shift to fewer valuable nutrients in food. Soil started to become depleted, and sprayed with poison. Fruits and vegetables are not the same as they once were. They contain more toxins and fewer vitamins and minerals.
Why It’s So Hard
Why is it so hard to consistently eat healthy foods, long-term? It’s not your fault. You are not alone. There is no reason to blame or shame when it comes to struggling with healthy food choices.
Companies started to and continue to develop food choices that result in addiction. It’s about money and quantity over quality. They found out what would cause people to buy more. We’re talking about processed sugars and fats. Natural sugar and fat are not the problem. Raspberries, avocados, and olive oil are fantastic. “Fruit” cereal, candy, and chips are not fantastic. The body and mind do not know what to do with those products. The brain becomes activated, and not in a good way. It’s similar to the response that happens with recreational drugs.
Also, it’s worse, because it’s everywhere. Eating is part of every single day. Then companies began to take it to the next level with advertising. Some people may have been exposed to recreational drugs at some point. However, not everyone is offered those substances at every meal. Grocery stores are filled with addictive foods void of nutrients that fuel the body and mind. These meal and snack choices are common at social gatherings. It’s common for restaurants to include sugar in foods that were never meant to have sugar. Most restaurants cook everything in processed oils. These choices are addictive. They’re more prevalent than natural foods. It’s no wonder so many of us struggle to make long-term nutrition changes. It is part of everyday life and fitting into society.
The Food Addiction
There’s more. Consider how addiction works. Let’s use alcohol as an example. Someone who is addicted to alcohol probably over-consumes at parties. They may drink a bit, or a lot when they go out to eat. After a long, stressful day at work, they will probably look forward to a few drinks. What happens when they’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or having a bad day? They turn to alcohol. Maybe it becomes a bigger issue when they face a tough life event, like a death or job loss. Experiencing uncomfortable emotions creates lots of opportunities to drink instead of feel those emotions.
How is that any different from food? It is different. Also, it’s way too similar.
It’s customary for celebrations like birthday parties to include cake and other sweets. All too often, stressful work days end in chips or something processed instead of vegetables. Uncomfortable emotions lead to stress or emotional eating to take the edge off. Do you understand where I’m going with this?
Stress Management and Emotional Processing
We need ways of managing stress and processing emotions. Then it becomes easier to make food choices that serve us long-term. Similarly, getting enough sleep allows us the physical and mental and emotional energy to get the food options that serve us. Brain magic provides the mental and emotional processing. Relaxation magic takes care of the stress. Sleep magic enables us to decide to go to the grocery store and cook or prepare, and then follow through.
This is why the foundation is so important.
Anyone who does not have that solid foundation is operating from willpower without what is needed to sustain. Of course, it’s going to be hard. We can make it a lot easier on ourselves.
Stress and Nutrition Magic
There’s another side to this. Stressing about nutrition and diet can cause more harm than good. Yes, it is good to be aware. This is what starts the process of behavior change. Also, the focus needs to be aligned at each stage. If your food choices cause a lot of stress or emotional instability, it can be more damaging than unhealthy foods. That’s not a free pass to eat junk. Instead, it’s an encouragement to address the brain and stress stuff first. Stressing, feeling discouraged, and self-deprecating thoughts are signs that you need to pause. Focus on the foundation of brain magic, relaxation magic, and sleep magic first.
You can try to force yourself to eat all the foods that are considered healthy. However, it’s going to end up being a battle of willpower unless your brain is on board. You need a way to process those emotions that come up. The stress needs to be managed. Trying to switch up the food plan without working on the three foundational areas is why it’s so hard to stick to it. Once there is some stability in the brain, sleep, and relaxation, it becomes a lot easier. That’s when the long-term changes happen.
Nutrition Magic: What to Choose
Okay, let’s consider what we do when that foundation is solid. We can also start implementing changes while working on the foundation. I say that with a big, important message. Make sure to continually monitor the foundation. If that foundation starts to slip because all the attention is on nutrition, shift back to focusing on the foundation. When that foundation is solid, try to incorporate as much nutrition magic as feels right in the moment. Remember, this will change over time.
Choose Natural
So, what is the best food to fuel the body and mind? The simple answer is natural food. Vegetables and fruits are great. Know where they come from. The best bet is to find farmers who prioritize quality and don’t use harmful substances. You can try a local farmer’s market, if possible. It’s not always realistic.
Ditch the Toxins
Choose organic when you can. The produce at grocery stores is often sprayed with more than just water. They have harmful chemicals. Make sure to wash everything before eating. You can soak it in water mixed with vinegar. A good ratio is three parts water to one part vinegar.
Are Grains Part of Nutrition Magic?
Processed grains like mass-produced bread and other products are hard for the body to process. They tend to contain a lot of toxins and lack nutrients. Instead, try to choose whole grains. Choose organic whole oats instead of instant oatmeal with sugar and other junk. Go for organic, natural grain rice instead of instant white rice. Whole buckwheat grouts and quinoa can be good options, too.
Instead of processed chips and snacks, I cook organic popcorn seeds on the stove. This is different from microwavable popcorn bags. The bags often contain a lot of extra toxins as additives. Also, cooking it in the bag releases bag toxins into the food. Once I learned the right settings for my stove, cooking the seeds in a pot became just as easy as the microwave bag.
Cooking and Toxins
Be aware of how cooking in certain packages and containers impacts foods. Even when the frozen vegetables say to steam in the bag, don’t. This releases toxins into the food. Remove them from the bag and cook them in a safe, non-toxic pot or glass dish, for example. Microwavable plastic doesn’t mean it’s safe for humans; it means the plastic won’t melt when you cook it.
Are Meat and Animal Products Part of Nutrition Magic?
Moving on to a hot topic: meat vs. no meat and other animal products. We’re not going to get into the debate today. That’s for another time. If you do eat meat or consume any animal product, know what you’re eating. Where did the animal come from? What did it eat? This matters! If the animal was not treated humanely, it is not healthy for you to eat. Anything that the animal was fed or given impacts the quality of the product.
This applies to dairy, eggs, meat, and every animal product. If an animal experiences poor living conditions or a traumatic death, it releases stress hormones. Those stress hormones are in the eggs, milk, and meat. It’s like eating stress and inflammation. If a cow watches another cow being slaughtered, or senses danger before being slaughtered, stress hormones spike. It’s in the meat. If a cow is treated poorly, overmilked, and remains inside a barn, never going outside, the milk will contain stress hormones.
Should Humans Consume Dairy?
There’s even more to it with dairy. Cow milk is designed to feed baby cows. Human milk is designed to feed baby humans. The milk, between the two, cow and human, is not the same. Additionally, humans tend to lose the ability to digest milk as they get older and are able to eat other foods. It makes sense. Mothers are not supposed to breastfeed their adult children.
Something happened during phases of famine and starvation in areas such as Eastern Europe. There was a gene mutation that allowed people to consume dairy throughout life. Without cow milk, some humans may have died. Drinking cow milk was better than no nutrients. Some adults can digest cow milk and don’t notice negative effects. However, many people didn’t get that gene mutation. That’s okay because it’s not needed after the baby’s breastmilk phase is over. So much of nutrition is personal, and different for everyone. Determine what YOUR body can and can not tolerate. Take that into consideration when making your decisions.
Where to Start with Nutrition Magic
When it comes to nutrition magic, start with the foundation: brain magic, relaxation magic, and sleep magic. We’ll get into more food information and details later. For now, just try to build awareness and choose more natural options. Also, make sure to support yourself in other areas, such as brain magic and relaxation magic.
Now what?
Please share this content with anyone you feel would benefit. I want to help as many people as possible to Live Magically. Comments on blog posts and videos, and reviews on podcast episodes, help to get this message out to those who need it. So, if you leave a comment or review, I have a special gift for you. Email a screenshot of your comment or review to ashley@olivinewellnes.com and I will email you back with a PDF guide to help you Live Magically.
Here’s what YOU can do:
- SHARE Live Magically videos, podcasts, and blogs
- COMMENT below and on the video & REVIEW the podcast
- FREE gift – email ashley@olivinewellness.com
- FOLLOW on social media – Facebook and Instagram
- FREE “Drop the Stress & THRIVE” recording
- Join the community HERE
Do you have a question for me, or would you like some help with a challenge?
Let me know what’s on your mind or what you’re facing. I use your messages and feedback to come up with content to share so you may get a response by way of blog post, video, and podcast (keeping your identity 100% anonymous, of course)!
Make sure to join the community HERE to get a free recording of “Drop the Stress & THRIVE” sent right to your email inbox. This is the perfect resource to help you as you start to Live Magically.
Thank you so much for being part of my community and have a magical day!
Recent Comments