Eating Well

I recently blogged about paying attention to what I eat and when. I was investigating the link between the food I would eat at the weekend and the way I felt on a Monday morning. I said I'd post on how my experiment went and I didn't follow through. So readers, here it is, the results from my experiment to change the way I eat.

First up I did not follow the experiment very well. Of course the results will not have validity, reliability, integrity or any other of the rigours of science.

This is no surprise to me. I regularly break the rules. As it was I would try to eat well at the weekend and take stock of how I felt come Monday. Was there a link between my attitude of excess that impacted on my emotional and energy state?

Leaving the experiment behind after the first weekend, I have gradually cultivated a deeper understanding of how food interacts with my body in general. I recently took a holiday from work and took a fast and cleanse in the days leading up to it. incidentally it is almost 3 years since I did the same thing around the time that I first discovered Yoga.

This time I cut out sugar and all gluten. I reduced my meat intake during the cleanse but I have since increased this. The first day and a half of the fast were difficult but on day 2 I was overcome with a tremendous sense of energy and power reminding me how food is not the only sustainer of the body. Adjusting back to food, I took my time and started with bland and simple things, moving on to fruits and vegetables before introducing complex foods. After some period of withdrawal and the usual detox side effects, which are quite uncomfortable, I was able see the results of my change, with increased energy and a greater clarity of thought. More stability in my emotional state across days.

I have since kept this up and had made some observations about what made it work:

• My change came about from a place of deep care for myself as body and mind.
• I took care to observe and record the changes that were occurring in my body both positive and negative.
• I began to share my insights, observations and learnings with others around me, even inspiring others to take this on.
• I took an interest in what others were doing for themselves in becoming healthier(turns out there were many in my circle that were trying the same things)

Have you ever made a positive change and surprised yourself?

What helped you make the change?

What else in your life could this be applied to?