How do we show up “nutritionally”?
Hey, hey, it’s been a while since I dropped a few words here for the amazing SufferBetter crew. It’s cool to know good things like this community still keep plugging along during a pandemic, and we can continue supporting each other and still aiming to do good for our environment.
In a world with much strife and struggle, it almost seems frivolous to write about nutrition and health optimization (a primary focus of my work).
Like… who cares about food and nutrition right now? We’re trying to survive a pandemic for crying out loud.
But one perspective to keep in mind is that we can’t show up for others very well if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.
I do realize that not all of us are fortunate enough to have basic needs such as shelter and food security. But for those of us right now who do, are we honoring our nutrition needs adequately? And does this translate to showing up in life to “better be there” for others?
So, my ask of you is to do a “self-care check” from a nutrition perspective. Okay, wait. The term “self-care” is controversial. For some, it imparts shame and blame and invokes thoughts of “I should be doing [fill in the blank thing that we’re supposed to be doing]”. That’s not the intention here; I’m not trying to Should all over you.
Rather, I’m trying to come from the angle of “How do YOU think your nutrition is serving you and enabling you to live your best life?”
To help uncover this a tad more, ponder these questions and notice where your thoughts go:
• How often am I using food (and/or alcohol) as a coping strategy or stress reliever? How do I feel afterwards?
• Am I skipping meals and if so, for what purpose?
• How is my diet or dietary pattern actually working for me and how do I know? (Tip: If you are following a particular diet due to a celebrity or professional athlete recommendation (or Netflix shockumentary), we may need a fact check.)
• How does my nutrition and health status enable me to reach my fitness goals or other athletic endeavors I wish to pursue?
• How do I really feel each day as far as my energy, fatigue, pep, and vitality?
Answering these questions may lead you to consideration for doing a check in with a nutrition professional who can help you finesse and fine-tune. There is no harm in stepping forward to pursue this path. And it actually may enable you to live your days Suffering Better.
Thanks for reading and sending peace to you,
Dina Griffin, MS RDN CSSD
Chief Fueling Officer
dina@nutritionmechanic.com