Thursday, February 5, 2015

Bacon. Bacon. Bacon.

Everyone knows instinctively, when they stop worrying and obsessing over all the contradictory, conflicting information out there, what their body needs and wants not only nutritionally, but also emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually. 

It is encoded within our DNA, as our ability to survive and seek pleasure. We know when we're thirsty, when we're hungry, the lungs know how to breathe, the heart knows how to pump blood through the body, our eye lids know how to blink to keep the eyes lubricated and functioning properly. So why is it that when it comes to food, we are so confused? This fundamental human instinct of nutritionally supporting our bodies with food has become so difficult for so many people to do. For so many reasons. 

Here is where Health Coach Steph comes in. I help you tune out all of the other shit- all of the confusing information, fad diets, quick cleanses; and I help you get in touch deeply with what your body, mind, and soul is truly desiring when it comes to food choices, lifestyle choices, and social-relationship choices. Because I've been there. On and off crash diets, on and off binges, food disorders, body image dysmorphic syndrome, compulsive-emotional eating. Food was my outlet. It was the only control I had in my life- or so I thought at a young age. Then over the last 10 years, I've become empowered, educated, and thus passionate about helping others heal and move through these difficult obstacles.

Now, I help guide my clients in determining what is positively serving their life and what isn't; and how to remove what's not, and increase what is. I empower you to trust your instincts when it comes to not only nutritionally supporting your body, but physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually supporting your life. Because believe it or not all of these areas are interconnected and they all impact each other. This is what I call Primary Food- all the stuff that feeds our soul and drives us to enjoy the life we live. Then comes Secondary Food- the food that we put onto our plates.

You see, we are 99% the same and 1% different. But that 1% difference is huge and it's what bio-individuality is all about. What works for one person isn't going to work for another. A "diet" your friend is on may not necessarily be what your body needs. Every single body is different in what it requires to thrive at any given time. I have a dear friend; she can put down a 16oz steak in one sitting, and I think to myself how the hell can you do that? Her body just does very well with meat and she feels good eating it. My body, on the other hand does not require that at all and I'd feel like shit if I ate that.


Now that we're on the topic of meat, let's talk about BACON.


Years ago, if you put bacon in front of me, I’d feel repulsed. I’d be angry watching you cook it and eat it. It would seriously bother me. I hated it, believed it to be the most unhealthy thing you could put into your body. I had a serious moral discrepancy about it because I felt really bad for the piggies. I still do. (That's another topic for conversation for another time.)

However, fast forward a couple years, all of a sudden one day, I had the weirdest craving for BACON! I was like what the hell is this? So, I did what any Health Coach would do. I acknowledged the craving, dissected it a bit, and came to the conclusion that perhaps that craving was because I needed a little more salt in my diet, or some more protein. So I started adding more vegan sources of protein to my meals- beans wherever I could, more hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, more quinoa and kasha, walnuts, almonds, lentils, eggs, goat cheese!

But the cravings for bacon didn’t subside. 


It wasn’t beef, or chicken, or pork. It was specifically bacon. I hadn't eaten bacon since I was about 10, and now all of a sudden my body was relentlessly urging me to just EAT BACON! So I went to Trader Joe, and picked up Nitrate-free, hormone-free, humanely (as humane as slaughtering animals can possibly be, right) raised bacon. I went home (this was about a year ago) and put a pan on, but realized I had never even cooked bacon before. Needless to say, I fried that shit up, took one bite of that crispy bacon, and everything around me just stopped. It was absolutely delicious. My taste buds were having a happy dance party in my mouth. I stood still for a good 5 minutes, inhaling the smell of this delectable bacon, and enjoying every single bite I took. I savored that shit, like I’ve never savored anything else in my life. And thought to myself, "What the f%^* have I been missing all this time?!"


The moral of this story is:

1. Bacon is amazing.

2. Tune into what your body craves and desires.


I had to understand that what had once worked for me (not eating bacon), just didn't work for me anymore. You see, what works for your body at one time in your life, will not necessarily work for your body for all of your life. Our bodies are constantly changing and our minds are constantly changing, because life is continually happening; and as long as we are continually growing, we will require different things at different times. Especially when it comes to food.

Being able to get in touch with that is key. Knowing where your body is at at different stages of your life in imperative. This is an example of tuning in.. 

I still don’t have a high meat diet, but once in a while, my body will crave bacon, and I will acknowledge that craving and honor it, as mindfully and as wakefully as possible. Because that works for me now. And I don't feel bad about it, or beat myself up about it, mentally. Because the thoughts we have about eating something “bad” physiologically does more damage than the actual the food we put into our bodies. It’s the science of epigenetics. Our thoughts are pretty powerful.

And plus, new science has now shown, contrary to the belief of saturated fat being the cause of heart disease, it is now, in fact, sugar and carbohydrates which contribute greatly to heart disease and clogged arteries. The field of nutrition is amazing. It is constantly changing, with new information constantly emerging, debunking old ideas, supporting once debunked ideas, contradicting two things in the same study, confusing the shit out us, putting us into a place of paralysis where we don't know what the hell to eat. Believe me, I've been there. Hence the battle of anorexia and food disorders in my teens. 


This is more so of a reason to understand the utmost importance of tuning into your own unique body. This takes precedence over any fad diet, crash diet, paleo diet, vegan diet, whatever dietDoesn't matter. Just listen to what your body needs and wants, and honor it. 

Now, as a Health Coach I'm able to teach people how to do this. I empower women to get in touch with their bodies from the inside-out, re-establish a healthy relationship to food and to themselves, and find their self-love, self-worth, and confidence; and thus start living their most desired life. It's truly incredible. 


How does this resonate with you?
How can you begin to tune into your body and develop a deeper relationship to what you truly need and desire?

Let’s talk.
I can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

4 comments:

  1. I'm one of those people that can eat anything and manage to stay at a weight (and stomach size) that I'm comfortable with. I've also found that changes in diet have very little effect on my mood/attitude as compared to others; some people change their eating habits and become a new person. As a result, I've never been too interested in reading what one might call "food literature": healthy eating habit tips, fitness and nutrition writing, etc... I enjoy going out to eat with friends but often find myself looking forward much more to the movie we're going to see afterwards, the bar we're going to stop at, or anything else on the agenda besides the meal. I was reading your article and found myself wishing I could get so excited over something as mundane as eating bacon- and I'm not throwing you a subliminal in saying that.

    You made a few great points in your article:

    1. Knowing where your body is at throughout different stages of your life is imperative.
    2. We are 99% the same and 1% different; but that 1% difference is huge
    3. The thoughts we have about eating something “bad” physiologically (I think you should use 'psychologically' here) does more damage than the actual the food we put into our bodies.
    4. So, I did what any Health Coach would do. I acknowledged the craving, dissected it a bit, and came to a conclusion that.... ---- My favorite line of your article. I cut off your sentence midway through becayse I wasn't interested in whether or not you needed more salt or more protein; I just liked your thinking.That's a great approach to solving any internal question you may have (nutritionally related or not), and a wonderful example of self-reflection and introspective thinking.

    I'm leaving a comment to get this blog going. I enjoyed your writing despite having little overall interest in food-related articles. I think you should expand on your experiences with compulsive eating and other food disorders; far more interesting food for thought (all puns intended) in my eyes. "Because I've been there. On and off crash diets, on and off binges, food disorders, body image dysmorphic syndrome, compulsive-emotional eating. Food was my outlet. It was the only control I had in my life- or so I thought at a young age" Interesting stuff... Peace!

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  2. Hi Anonymous,

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and comments! Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

    It's so wonderful you've implemented such self-awareness and self-reflection to make the connection (or lack thereof) between your eating habits and your mood/thoughts/attitude/energy,etc. Although you see no correlation for yourself, you are absolutely correct in noting that that correlation certainly exists for others. Makes total sense why you wouldn't take interest in something that hasn't taken precedence nor had an impact in your personal life. However, not being excited to go out to eat?! I'll let that one go. ;)

    I'm so glad some of the points I made resonated with you! Those are just some of the topics I discuss and work through with clients in my coaching practice; and that was just barely grazing the surface. In regard to #3, I use the word "physiologically" as opposed to "psychologically" here, to explain the *physiological* effect that our thoughts have on our bodies (down to the cellular level). That which is to a far greater degree than the actual food we put into our bodies. In other words, how we *feel* about something is going to impact us far greater (physiologically) than whatever the actual thing is that we are reacting to.

    Thanks again for taking an interest in my work, taking the time to reply, and offering your insight. Let's keep the conversation going, and stay tuned for further posts. I'll get into the good stuff =)

    XO
    Stephanie

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  3. I'm 30 and have been vegetarian since I was 14yrs old... More than half my life now. Over the years, I have been asked countless times, "Why?" It has alway been weird for me... Answering that question... Because I don't know why. I've Never known why. I woke up one morning during my freshman year of HS, went into my mother's room and told her I will be vegetarian from that day forward... And so it went. But, it was weird to say, "I don't know", when people asked me "Why?" After reading your article, it is clear to me and I now have a better response than "I don't know." What worked for my body the first 14yrs did not work for the 16yrs that followed... I look forward to embracing whatever dietary endeavors my body pursues over the next however long........ And it's all good because I feel good. =)
    I don't look so bad either. ;-)

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  4. Hi!

    Thanks so much for sharing! I'm so glad you have more clarity now as to why you've made this dietary choice (and at such a young age too); and more so that you feel great! That is the most important thing. The journey should always take precedence over the "destination." If we aren't enjoying the process, it isn't worth the presumed outcome. One of my mentors, Nisha Moodley, said, "Savor each step." And it looks like you are doing just that! Here's to you embracing your health, happiness, and wellbeing =)

    xo
    Stephanie

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