Written by: Emily Christine Schield, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Struggling to eat healthy and stick to a diet? Here’s how your mind plays into the equation
The world of healthy eating – I’ve watched it become extremely complicated and overwhelming. There is so much noise, creating chronic confusion in the minds of people desiring to create real, lasting, sustainable change. If you find yourself chasing that one vitamin, that perfect diet, or that all-encompassing healing habit that will be the solution to all of your health issues, I’m sorry to inform you that you will be spinning in the wheel of trial and error for years. This is because all real, consistent change is rooted in our own beliefs, and our individual thought patterns. Before we even attempt to change our ways, we must first deeply commit to ourselves and really understand what’s getting in our way. Creating a healthy foundation in our minds is step number one. By doing this inner work consistently with the right guidance, your success is inevitable.
Understanding your brain Did you know the average person thinks between 12,000-60,000 thoughts per day? Pretty hard to imagine that we really think that much, right?! Even more surprising is that research shows 80% of those thoughts are negative and 95% of those thoughts are the same ones we had yesterday. [1]With those odds, the determination to only change your actions (the groceries you buy or trying a healthy recipe) will be hard to stay consistent with for the long-term if the mind is in a different headspace. Interrupt your current thoughts To change your eating habits from a “nice idea” in your head to a true lifestyle change, you need to “interrupt” the abundance of negative and repetitive thoughts that are running the show. If we are being really honest, those thoughts are deep-down rooted in fear and arise as the excuses we come up with to “protect” ourselves from creating the changes we say we want to make.
Define your excuse Our excuses will never truly serve us, although it can feel way better to lean into them. The excuse of not having enough time to prepare healthy meals, the expense of healthy food, the lack of motivation to even start, the drive to keep going when you just don’t feel like it as well as the lack of clarity in where to even start or in what foods to buy and how to make nourishing meals that actually taste delicious. These are all very valid human thoughts to have, but the most self-defeating, disempowering excuse of them all comes down to not believing we are even capable of change. Lack of belief in ourselves also known as self-doubt can be the very limiting belief that is responsible for the domino effect of our excuses. Once you gain awareness of what excuses and beliefs you have, you allow space in your brain to create new thoughts that will actually help you. I always like to think of this as deep cleaning a specific room in the house, like your bathroom. The feeling of deep satisfaction you get from that hard-working accomplishment is similar to the peace, clarity, and excitement you receive by removing negative blocks in your brain and allowing yourself to be coached. Define your internal belief (also known as your “why”) that is so energetically powerful, it will override your excuses Now that we know how important it is to not only believe in ourselves and understand where our excuses are rooted, let’s discuss the relevance of having one all-powerful inner belief that will guide you throughout your health journey. To be honest, I didn’t realize how important this was to establish when I was getting my bachelor’s degree or even when I was becoming a certified health coach. It hit me when I was going through my own health transformation and the breakthrough I received that every woman needs a belief that powerfully lights her up.
Ultimately, a belief that is rooted in her “why.” Once this belief is created, it is important to recite it over and over again and impress the subconscious mind enough to have it be your domineering thought that overrides your excuses. Over time, this creates flow and allows for healthy eating and living to become simple, inspiring, and effortless.
Emily Christine Schield, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Emily Schield is a Health and Nutrition Coach helping women lead healthier lives by understanding how to heal themselves with real, nourishing whole foods and create meals they love for themselves and their families. She believes food is meant to be thoroughly enjoyed and believes in eating all food that is fresh, local, and made with high-quality ingredients with a focus on gut-healing and anti-inflammatory foods.
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