Eating: A Form of Self-Respect

Eating is a form of self-respect. Look at your health in a new light, balance your eating, and respect you!

Yes, life revolves around eating. But do you live to eat or eat to live? That’s the ultimate question. Food is here for not only fuel but also for human enjoyment as it utilizes our sense of taste and smell and heightens happiness. The signal from the taste buds on the tongue to the brain move between different nerve cells. This is a result of the release of chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Two of the five senses, taste and smell, combine to make up the flavors and spices you taste when you eat.

Marietta (name changed due to privacy), had insulin resistance syndrome, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol as a young child in elementary school. She became a lover for people, activity, her body, and her health. Sports became a priority for her when college hit and the big freshman fifteen many people fret over came with it. Diving into the crowd of socializing, eating late night junk foods, and having one too many drinks, Marietta came to a point where she strived to lose the weight in any possible way. She thought eating only natural and “clean” foods along with eliminating and avoiding any food that contained sugar or alcohol would do the trick. She quit socializing and damaged her relationships with people and her relationship with the one thing that fuels the human body daily--food. Marietta lost touch with her body completely abiding by all the “do’s and don’ts” the media portrays. She fell into the trap of comparing her image to the photoshopped models in magazines. After excess cardio, overly compulsively working out, and restricted eating, Marietta had the body so many people dreamed of; however, her own judgment and mind were clouded by the comparisons she’d been making.

She was damaging her personal image--her personal well-being--and knew something needed to change.

Marietta began looking at health in a new light and from a new perspective. It doesn’t just mean eating “clean,” “natural,” or “organic” foods. It meant staying in tune with her body and allowing herself to eat carbs, fruit, and desserts in a balanced manner. She intently researched credible health and fell in love with nutrition and the balance between food, exercise, and life. Marietta began to sustain a physique that she was proud of even if it meant an extra pound of muscle or “fluff.” She was happy, and that was most important. She began to love being in the kitchen and creating beautiful, delicious recipes full of nutrients that made her feel beautiful and glowing from the inside out. Most importantly, she began to repair her relationships with not only her own mind and distorted body image but her family and peers as well. The focus was shifted from a boxed-in mindset geared towards negative thoughts of food and weight gain, to a positive outlook on life and balance in the midst of it all. Marietta realized food is fuel, and it made her feel completely alive, and she developed the energy to sustain her from day to day.

It all boiled to this: self-respect. To respect the mind is to respect the body. Eating is a form of self-respect. Not over-exhausting the body is a form of self-respect. Food is to be enjoyed. Healthy doesn’t mean boring. Marietta learned that food can make you happy. It doesn’t and shouldn’t involve fear and disappointment. She’s become a health coach to teach others to combat negative self-talk with compassion and love. After overcoming her personal struggles, she helps others gain the physical and mental strength along with the confidence to create a glow like she was able to accomplish. She says, “The mind is a powerful thing; ‘the body achieves what the mind believes.’” Health is not one size fits all.

This fire inside Marietta has grown brighter than ever and has surpassed her fears. She sets the bar high as she makes a difference in the lives of others. She has continued to excel in her studies and has merged her love of business with her passion for health and wellness and is making her dream come true as she makes a difference in the world… all because of her shift in thinking. Eating is a form of self-respect. What will you do with it?

STARTING YOUR PATH TO HEALTHY LIVING

At the end of the day, there is a lot that goes into a holistic lifestyle. When you start your journey to healthier living, there seems to be so much information to weed through. It can be confusing and difficult to determine what you should focus on first.

That’s why we’ve developed a short 15 Point Guide to Essential Health. Take charge of your health, and, with a little help, you’ll be living a more fulfilled life in no time.