What does Culinary Wellness conjure up for you? For me it is the union of four key principles; healthy eating habits, active living, a positive mindset and state of emotional balance. Correctly applied they’ve enabled me to benefit from:
- a strong, capable and healthy body
- a sharp and clear mind
- sufficient energy to enjoy life
- sufficient time to pursue my passions and spend time with the ones I love
- a balanced emotional state and a positive outlook on life
Are you one of the people tired of being in a state of illness? Experiencing symptoms such as:
- Body – chronic illness (diabetes, heart disease, IBD, arthritis, Alzheimer etc), obesity, digestive issues, inflammation, poor nutrition
- Mind and emotional state – brain fog, migraines, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, overwhelm, stress, insomnia, poor nutrition
- Energy – fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion, low motivation, poor nutrition
Maybe you have started to look for ways in which you can positively influence your health and wellbeing but have been overwhelming by the amount of information on the subject. Often this information is conflicting so I want to share some really simple guidelines with you.
Implementing the Four Principles of Culinary Wellness
Positive Mindset: Adopting a frame of mind in which you choose to approach life’s challenges with a positive outlook.
A positive mindset makes change easier to implement. To create a positive mindset you have to make the practice of positive thinking habit. Try starting your day with a positive affirmation; a positive reminder or statement which you can use to encourage and motivate yourself. For example, ‘I have the power to create change.’; ‘Today is a good day! I am happy, strong and positive!’; ‘Today I will not stress over things I cannot control.’.
Active Living: Incorporate physical activity into your everyday living.
The thought of exercise can be intimidating for some so instead think about becoming more active. Walking is one of the most simple activities that you can easily incorporate into your routine. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day. In the beginning, split this into three 10-minute sessions if you need to. Want to step things up a bit? Add in some squats, lunges and star-jumps!
Healthy Eating Habits: Stop dieting and start creating healthy eating habits.
Dieting focuses on what we can’t eat instead of what we can. It also has little respect for our social and pleasure-based relationship with food. Denying ourselves the pleasure of what we enjoy sets us up for dieting failure.
Instead create eating habits around the healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Think fruits, vegetables, good sources of protein and wholegrains. I’m a fan of the 80:20 rule so at least 80 % of the time I eat everything that is healthy and good for me and up to 20% of the time I allow myself certain indulgences. Why don’t you try the same?
Emotional Balance: Create a state of being where you are mindful enough of your emotions that you can notice and respond to them in a constructive way.
Self-awareness is key to the success of emotional balance so next time you feel yourself getting overwhelmed emotionally, take some time to just breath and notice where your thoughts and emotions are coming from. Emotional balance is not about supressing emotions but more about recognising when they are becoming a source of frustration, conflict or regret and not allowing these emotions to have power over you.
What are your tips for creating a happier and healthier lifestyle? Let me know in the comments!
This is great information! I love the part about allowing yourself some indulgences, that’s so important! Just like “all work and no play” will make us burned out on life, a diet of strict sacrifice won’t sustain itself for very long. It’s important to reward yourself sometimes! Fantastic article, love it!
Great 1st article Nikkie!