By Ken Bell
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
Personal health is about thriving not just surviving.
At its root, maintaining personal health is not about restrictions. We all have friends who go from one diet to the next, maybe receiving short-term change only to revert back to old habits. I’m sure many of us have also done that ourselves. But truly nourishing yourself is about creating new habits.
How can we unearth our innate ability to become healthier and create our own health destiny, through education, empowerment, ancient and scientific truths and intuition? If we can get a better understanding of the health benefits of eating whole foods, how it affects dis-ease, self-empowerment, responsibility, conscious living, transitioning, socializing and so much more, we can make great strides in empowering ourselves and take control of our own health destinies.
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It is clear that our bodies have an innate ability to heal and it is for each of us to discover what works best for ourselves. There are major similarities that we all have in common, but then there are the subtle things that when changed for each of us as individuals, allow us to thrive and flourish. Personal health is and must be individualized for each and every person.
Consider that we are what we eat. Everything that we consume will eventually create the cells for everything in our body! What you eat literally becomes YOU, so in reality YOU have a choice as to what you are made of!
My intention is to ignite your passion in whatever way this information resonates with you, to empower you on your journey to health and wellness, to help you begin to explore manifesting your health destiny, open yourself up and embrace health — mind, body and spirit.
Remember this is an experiential journey! Are you willing to try a new path?
8 Simple Ways to Nourish Yourself
1. Listen to Your Body
No matter what lifestyle you currently maintain, you will experience beneficial effects from listening to your body’s signals. This holds true for good signals and bad as well. So be honest with yourself as you go through your transitions and ask such questions such as:
- Am I gaining health? Is my weight stabalizing?
- Am I experiencing greater energy, and clearer skin and eyes doing what I am doing?
- What about my aches and pains?
- Am I moving my bowels regularly?
- Do I have more mental clarity?
All of these experiences are the result of your diet and lifestyle, and if you are not achieving the ultimate level of any of them then it’s time to reassess what you are doing and how you are doing it!
For more information, please read: Listen To Your Body. Correct Food Ratios. Reverse Disease.
2. Self-Empowerment
Be your own health advocate and decide what resonates, what truly resonates with you. After all, you are ultimately responsible for your health and you can live without disease!
For help, please see: How To Advocate For Yourself With Doctors and 10 Crucial Questions Your Doctor Should Ask You (But Probably Doesn’t) by Lissa Rankin MD.
3. Self-Love
Self-empowerment leads to self-love and self-love is the most important thing! This is where it all begins, and caring for your physical body is part of loving yourself. Make eating an act of self-love, and consciously choose to treat your body with respect and reverence.
To do this you need to be conscious, and you need to live consciously. Look at your lifestyle honestly — is it one of abundance and self-care?
For inspiration, please read: Do You Love Yourself?
4. Choose Your Attitude
Don’t forget your attitude! Health breeds awareness and joy for living. Look at yourself honestly and ask “do I have a good attitude about being open to change and/or new experiences”? I often tell people I would rather see you eat a hamburger with love, than a salad with hate. Learn to read your own perspective by being open. Allow your attitude of gratitude to shine through if for no other reason than to see if anything shifts for you.
For more, check out the article: The Gratitude Attitude!
5. Transitioning
Think about moving into this phase of your new lifestyle with an “adding-in perspective” as opposed to the standard diet mentality of “cutting-out”. Adding-in positively charged healthful foods will ultimately push out those unwanted unhealthy foods, and you will not experience that painful perspective of craving.
For more on transitioning, check out the inspirational article: Spiritual Stepping Stones For Profound And Lasting Change
6. Experiencing
Try to commit to 1 day, 1 weekend, 1 week (or longer), and just try to FEEL the difference a small change can make. Also try sharing the experience with your partner or a friend.
Listen to the messages of your body. Intuition is your body’s inner intelligence. What are you craving? How do you feel after eating?
When faced with cravings, look for recipes that stimulate the sensations you love. For example if you are looking for something sweet, get yourself a medjol date, open it and put a pecan nut inside and sprinkle it with a little sea salt — your mouth will explode and that sugar craving will just melt away. If you have a sweet tooth (like I do), you will find that it will naturally decrease with higher fruit intake. If you are making a smoothie try adding frozen cherries to it. You will have a smooth creamy texture and the frozen cherries they really sweeten it up.
Remember you want to condition your body to experience pleasure and crave what it needs to THRIVE!
To learn more, please read: This Is What Happens To Your Brain Cells When You Experience Happiness
7. Socializing
We all have established ‘social situations’ we are part of, and we tend to use these situations as excuses and reasons why we do, or don’t do certain things. Here are a few tips to help with this:
- Dare to be different. Be aware of how others will be effected by how you’re eating (or not drinking, smoking etc.) in social situations. They may feel guilty, they may laugh at you or they may question your choices. But don’t feel bad, instead use this as an opportunity to share information about why you are doing things this way now. Honor yourself and share what knowledge you have gained, why you are doing what you are doing, and what you are experiencing as a result of the changes you have made
- No matter what, don’t judge the choices of others! Be empowered by what you are doing, and honor their choices.
- Take your own food to outings and take enough to share. Try eating something ahead of time to curb your appetite, and always keep an emergency stash of an apple, nuts, dates etc.
Remember that when you are living the best version of yourself, you will inspire others to live the best version of themselves!
For more on this, please read the article: We Can’t Change Others – Or Can We?
8. Conscious Mind-Body Living
Consciously nourishing your mind and body is essential. Here are some tips and tools to help you do it:
Drink clean water: Fresh Spring Water is available everywhere and it carries the vibrations of the Earth.
- To find out more, please see: Which Water Should I Drink?.)
Movement: Every day find ways to move your body – make it fun & interesting!
- For ideas, check out: Go Out and Play! – 6 Great Reasons to Exercise Outside.
Dry Brushing: Research has shown numerous benefits, such as removing dead skin cells, stimulating the lymph system, strengthening the immune system, and helping to eliminate toxins.
- For more information, check out the article Dry Skin Brushing Can Strengthen Immunity, Spark Detoxification and Reverse Aging.
Oil Pulling: This ancient Ayurvedic healing practice is used to detoxify the body.
- To learn more, please see: Coconut Oil Pulling Superior to Chemicals for Oral Health.
Receive your food with love: Try eating in a peaceful state, aware and conscious. Be present to the process and take the time to taste the food throughout the meal.
- Please see: Simple Tips for Mindful Eating.
Connect with nature: Find time every day to connect with nature. When possible try eat your meals outside and breathe fresh air into your lungs.
- For more information, please see: Conscious Connection – A Practical Guide To Grounding Your Energy
Meditation, Silence and the Spirit Connection: If you’re not already, begin a practice of taking 5 minutes a day to sit in silence (in nature, when possible) and connect. Do your own research about the various health and wellness benefits of meditation and silence.
- You can learn more about Meditation here.
Sleep: Are you getting enough?
Self-Love, Relationships, Vulnerability and an Open Heart: As your vibrations shifts, all of these will begin to come up for you, so be your own best friend. Feel more connected to everybody and everything, find your tribe, and make space for these things in your life as your vibrations shifts.
- For a deeper perspective, please see: Relationships – The Four Golden Threads
Gratitude: Find gratitude for everything including the miracle of your body. We often only see the things wrong with ourselves or things we don’t like, but if you really take an inventory of the miracle that we are, it will blow your mind – enjoy your being!
The Final Word
Become empowered and confident that you are capable of true healing on all levels. Find out what happens when you change the flow of what is coming in. See what happens — see how you feel!
The entire process if nothing else is just an evolution of you as an individual. Give yourself the gift of that time to shift into a new way of living.
Be patient with yourself and this process.
About the author:
Ken is a free spirit and student of Buddhism, yoga, meditation and life. He is an Exercise Physiologist as well as the resident anatomist for MOYO’s yoga teacher training program. Achieving his yoga teaching certification through MOYO yoga, Ken is a Reiki master/teacher, tai chi, and meditation instructor, writer of a fitness booklet as well as being a featured contributor to MindBodyGreen. He also provides consulting services in plant based whole food nutrition programs.
As the co-retreat coordinator at MOYO, Ken and has taught yoga and meditation internationally. He teaches from the foundation of limitless potential for awakening the body/mind/spirit connection. With a genuine love for people and a true passion for yoga on and off the mat, Ken is an impassioned practitioner and a dedicated father.
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