Nourishing Your Body and Mind Without Food

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by and obsessed with food — what you’re eating, what you’re not eating, what you’d rather be eating — and to start labeling foods as “good” and “bad,” healthy and not healthy, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory.

While we believe what you do and do not put in your body is extremely important to your well-being, we also believe that it’s only part of what keeps you healthy.

Changing your lifestyle and nutrition habits can be difficult, and cravings can rear their ugly heads when you are sad, stressed or bored. Instead of filling the void with food, here are some non-food-related ways you can nourish your mind and body.

1. Whether it’s an email to a friend, a journal entry, a blog post, fiction or nonfiction, writing offers amazing therapeutic benefits. Writing can help you process complicated feelings and emotions, give your body and mind an opportunity to release negativity, keep your mind sharp, increase communication skills, help you understand yourself better, be more sympathetic and empathetic, occupy idle hands and connect with the world around you. You don’t have to be good at it or show anyone what you’re writing. The act of writing itself is nourishing all on its own.
2. There is no doubt about the benefits of reading to body and mind, but did you know that reading has therapeutic benefits akin to talk therapy? It’s called bibliotherapy, and it’s one of the three therapies used in SELF ReClaimed. For the greatest benefit, choose reading material that brings joy and expands the mind.
3. Take a walk. Besides all of the physical benefits of walking, taking a walk gives your body and mind time to relax, reflect, break out of routine, see something new, be alone or spend time with a partner, commune with nature and step away from screens. If it’s cold, bundle up and enjoy the brisk winter air. If you’re someplace warm, try walking barefoot to soak up some of the Earth’s healing energy.
4. Do a jigsaw puzzle. While jigsaw puzzles offer actual cognitive benefits, they’re also a great way to unwind, spend time with family, move away from screens, and engage the brain while simultaneously giving it a break. If you don’t like jigsaw puzzles, try logic puzzles, sudoku, crosswords, Rubik’s Cube, etc.

These are just a few things that you can do instead of filling the void with food. I'd love to hear which one of these have worked for you.

I hope that as you start this new year, you begin taking better care of you!

Don't forget to join me for the SHAPE ReClaimed Webinar. Just click the button below. 

There will be prizes for those of you who attend live.

Until next time...Take Care of You!

Jacalyn