Foundation Fifty - 50 Days to Meeting Your Needs: #2 Food & Drink

Day 2: Food and Drink:

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are."
--Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

The foods we eat and the liquids we drink determine our perception of the day, the way we handle stress and interact with others. Eating a planned meal or snack will keep our lives on an even track, something that will build our reserves as we go through the changes in our lives. Eating because we are anxious, lonely, tired, sad, angry or excited will lead to a temporary solution, however when the uncomfortable feelings or event occurs again, we may attempt to solve it in the same manner.

Bonnie was irritable with her seven-year-old twins who always wanted to play before going to bed. Writing down the things she could not control to help her understand what she really needed, she made the connection that eating too many carbohydrates (cookies, prepared foods, cereal and breads with refined sugars), were making her even more tired in the evenings. Bonnie was already tired after having worked all day and attended support group meetings right after work. In order to get more energy Bonnie got together with her friends at work and they shared recipes for low carbohydrate meals. She even went online and found an international group that exchanged cooking ideas. As she transformed the way she looked at food -- from something to mask her real need for more energy to a resource that could help her improve her well-being -- she was able to make change. When we eat well and abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs, we make clear decisions and are less impulsive with our emotions.

Be aware of what you are doing or not doing, and why. If we are eating compulsively, or not wanting to eat at all, we are masking our emotions and denying our real needs. Through assertively communicating these needs to others as well as ourselves, we will be able to maintain a healthier balance in all areas of our life. If eating patterns become a problem in our lives, we may be in an addiction, hypoglycemia or diabetes. It is best to check it out with your doctor. Changing food patterns is not easy. Give yourself a pat on the back for each small step forward and be gentle on yourself with old behavior. Each meal and snack is a new experience, and a new opportunity to choose differently!

Write what you are eating today:

Healthy Food & Liquids

UNFULFILLED

Unbalanced or excessive eating to mask your emotions; low water intake; excessive alcohol, mood swings.

SATISFIED
Adequate and balanced food, healthy nutritional patterns and regular water intake.

TRY THIS:
* Create a daily plan of three balanced meals and two healthy snacks.
* Drink eight glasses of water a day.
* Take a short walk after each meal.

List the healthy foods and liquids you take into your body:

Rate the fulfillment of your needs for healthy food and liquids today on a scale of 1-10:

What actions are you willing to take that would give you a ten today?

What would give you a ten, 50 days from now?

Write this goal and create an action list.

Fill in the affirmation:

I, ___________ am doing_______________________ to meet my needs for healthy food and liquids

Thank you for the strength to keep my commitment to eat healthy today.