Mindful Eating

3 min read

What Food For Anxiety? Mindful Eating...

Maintaining your mental well-being is daily work, and can’t be resolved simply by swallowing a pill.

But the other stuff you swallow may well help, BIG-TIME.

I’ve pretty much always been an omnivore, but watching a couple documentaries (namely Cowspiracy, and What The Health), plus meeting a couple of who’ve recommended moving to a whole-food, plant-based diet – lately I’ve been trying to do just that.

I’m not always successful, but I’m slowly but surely moving away from dairy, away from dead meat, and towards live, plant-based foods - the effect on my general well-being has been tangible.

I just feel lighter in my being, my head’s clearer, I’m less prone to ruminate on stuff, more likely to taking a positive view on things that happen in general day to day existence, things that otherwise might have wound me up, or frustrated me – I can control my reactions more. I can CHOOSE my reaction.

Now there’s no way YOU can really “measure” the effect of exercise and diet, except by trying it.

On a weekend earlier this year, I had to spend the Friday day travelling, and laziness kicked in, I couldn’t be bothered preparing plant-based snacks for the journey, I ended up eating shitty convenience food, I even had a bacon and egg Panini, which for someone who’s been pretty successful in avoiding animal products the last few months, was a shocker!

Anyway, I woke up the next day feeling like I was hung over, like I’d been drinking the night before. And this is someone who hadn’t touched a drop in 3 months!

Now coincidentally I was attending a cooking course the next day, the Saturday – and funnily enough it was a whole-food, plant-based course – we learnt how to make delicious frozen fruit smoothies for breakfast, an incredible green leafy salad with avocado and cold potatoes mixed in (yes ladies, potatoes are FINE!), and a seriously amazing sweet potato massaman curry for dinner. The food was fresh, healthy, and super-tasty.

And guess what, I woke up the next morning, the Sunday, feeling bulletproof. If that wasn’t proof enough for ME that this way of eating works for mental wellbeing, I don’t know what would be – and from that moment on, I’ve been sold on whole-food, plant-based eating for mental well-being.

So, the challenge for today is whole-food, plant-based eating. I’ve put together a meal plan with recipes and instructions for you – the same one from the story I just told.

You can download the recipes here.

For snacks between the meals, please eat fruit, vegetables, or nuts and seeds. No sugary drinks please – water with a squeeze of lemon or lime in it – or herbal teas. Coffee is fine, so long as you’re using non-dairy milk! Try soy to start with…or almond milk.

Now it’s not necessarily going to be as noticeable for you as it was that weekend for me, but let’s just see. Make sure you adhere STRICTLY to today’s meal and snack suggestions, and let me know how you feel tomorrow.

And if you feel good, do it again!

I’ve got a ton of meal plan options for you – just reach out.

Oh and by the way, if you feel you’re carrying a little too much weight right now, stick to a whole-food, plant-based diet and the pounds will FALL off you, guaranteed.