My Idea of “Saying Grace”.
Hi There,
Rewriting the story of my body image has been more difficult than I’d imagined! After all, I speak and write vulnerably about my relationship with Eve, my inner critic, as well as the faults, flaws, and warts I sport. Why would this be so hard?
I shared this observation with one of my network communities, and they were not surprised. The consensus: body shame has been tucked away and ignored for decades. These emotional wounds run deep!
Feeling supported and understood by like-minded people, I remain persistent in embodying my new, evolving story. The neural pathways in my brain leading to shame about my body are, indeed, decades old. But I’m hopeful….and patient.
When I catch myself in my old story and shift my attention to my new story about body image, my brain’s newly created neural pathways are etched a bit deeper. This is the same process as embedding a new habit. In an ideal scenario, the old stories about my body image will soon be distant memories.
One of the reframes I’ve embraced is that our bodies are miraculous machines. Gerry Sweetman contributed an article on the topic to DRIVEN’s website nine years ago. She started by asking, “Do you fancy yourself a workhorse or a racehorse?”, and then proceeded to detail the opportunities we have to nourish our bodies.
So, I’m actively reframing my food consumption story to, “I eat to nourish my inner racehorse”. I’m also widening the lens to consider that the food I’m eating today is setting me up for my later years. I want my meals to contribute to an energized and vibrant me in the present, and for decades to come.
Besides composing meals that are nutritionally dense, I’m rethinking the mindset with which I consume my meals. My idea of “saying grace” is to honor the body by eating healthfully.
So today, I’d like to offer two perspectives to revolutionize your nutrient intake from purely physical, to emotional and spiritual as well:
1. Mealtime is real time. Refrain from watching TV, catching up on email, or being distracted by that tiny supercomputer in your pocket during meals. It’s a time to enjoy some background music, engage with others at the table, and relish in the gratitude for the connection between community and communion.
2. Eating alone can be an amazing opportunity to practice mindfulness. You can actively connect to your five senses! Besides observing and absorbing the sight, smell, taste, texture (mouthfeel), and sounds of your meal, tune into how long the flavor lingers on your palate. Let the experience take your mind to wonderful places.
These new ways of thinking may not seem monumental, but positive automatic thoughts are a huge component of resilience. And baby steps add up!
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
DRIVEN Professionals, 35 Adrienne Lane, Garrison, NY 10524