Cultivating Mindfulness of the Body’s Needs

I spotted this interesting NPR article on how the foods we eat can influence our stress response.

Might we be able to influence our mood by increasing our awareness of how what we eat affects our mood? I hesitate to subscribe to the idea that there is a magic solution for this issue such as if one eats X one will feel happy/less stressed, but I think there is something to the idea that we could all benefit from being MINDFUL of how what we ingest affects us. 

For example, if I am irritable during the day, one simple question I might ask myself is, “What factors have led to this moment?” By checking in with myself, I can quickly pause and take stock of my sleep, my thoughts, any significant events such as an argument with someone, and my nutritional situation. If I am feeling irritable, I may need to listen to my body. What does my body need right now? Perhaps I need some protein, some nutritional fuel. It certainly would not hurt me, and perhaps by ingesting something that is helpful for my body, I can more easily step back to mindfully notice what else might be going on for me.

When was the last time you listened to your body?  What does it need?  Let’s all pay a bit more attention, and this time let’s also include nutrition.  It may be interesting what we discover.

Dr. Liza Guequierre