HOW TO PRACTICE "SELF-CARE THROUGH NUTRITION"?

 

Good Nutrition is a good aid for good self-care. Oops that tongue twister! Well, it means you can take good care of yourself by improving the nutrition you take daily. So, what is good self-care and good nutrition? Let’s know more...

What exactly is ‘Self Care’?  

Self-care is a broad term that includes taking care of oneself in various ways; and the meaning of is different for everyone. For somebody, jogging or cycling could be a self care routine, for someone else, it could be reading a book, and for someone other it could be eating right to maintain the ideal weight. Harvard Medical School describes self-care as “... paying attention to and supporting one’s own physical and mental health.” So, what makes one physically and mentally fit, is self-care for him or her. Of course, we all know, for better physical mental health, essential nutrients have a great role to play!

Why nutrition is so important for self care?

‘Nutrition’ as commonly understood is about correcting your diet to improve your health. Well, no! The catch is – nutrition does not mean counting calories every time you eat anything. It’s not about depriving yourself of the food that you love; and keep craving for it indefinitely because you’re on a diet. In fact, sticking to a strict diet can have negative impact on good nutrition and self-care plan.

Good nutrition is all about infusing your food with essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that your body needs to keep up its function at an optimal level. This in turn, gives you energy for a good mental and physical health. Putting it in simple words, not taking nutrients and expecting good self care is like going to a gym for building muscle mass and not taking protein rich food. You’ll obviously have a hard time achieving your goal!

Making it clearer, nutrition plays a vital role for the body’s natural ability to create hormones that regulate our moods, emotions and various states of mind. When your cells aren’t getting the fuel they need, you might feel irritated, depressed, anxious, or stressed. When you nourish your body mentally, physically, and emotionally with good food and nutrition, it’s the ultimate form of self-care.

The relationship between self-care and nutrition

To remain mentally, physically and emotionally fit, many of us engage in physical activities or routines to practice self-care; often remaining unaware of what our body really needs. Taking a good nutrition is as important as gymming, jogging or doing yoga. It actually gives you that feel good factor by elevating your mood and making you aware about your body’s needs.

If you are looking to up your self-care routine, consider focusing on nutrition. A balanced and varied diet can be an essential part of self-care; as the food you eat directly impacts your overall health and well-being. Proper nutrition can help manage daily stress and its probable long term deleterious effects on the body – such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders However, nutrition can help beyond just minimizing stress. It helps your body regulate its functions better; and boosts your immune system to protect you from various illnesses or to help you recover faster from them.

Let’s discover some ways that intertwine nutrition with other aspects of self-care:

• Listening to what your body needs (and wants): 

Our body is excellent at communicating. However, often, we aren’t as good at listening! Honing in to what your body really needs can be tricky, especially if you have gotten out of touch with your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues. Finding your way back to intuitive eating can sometimes be a long process, but it is absolutely worth it! Allowing yourself to eat whatever you want; but with awareness of when and how much you must eat can be really freeing. It has a positive impact on your emotions (someone who has been following a strict diet can easily relate with this).

• Cooking as a form of self-care: 

For those who find cooking as a stress reliever, and the ones who seek solace in making their favourite recopies; this is a perfect way to incorporate nutrition into your self-care routine. This way you connect your emotions with your body’s need to have good food – a great way to keep yourself energetic.

• Practicing mindful eating: 

When was the last time you relished a meal thoroughly, without any distractions. Usually, even while eating we’re engrossed in debates, or lost in TV shows or are scrolling through social media posts. Most of the times, we eat without feeling and enjoying what we are eating! Knowing and enjoying what we are eating has great nourishing effect on our body. Eating more slowly and mindfully also improves your digestion, which means you’ll absorb the nutrients in your food more efficiently.

•  Connecting with others through food: 

Simply taking a moment to enjoy time with your friends or family can be another method of self-care. Eating together with someone or with a group facilitates bonding and brings people closer to one another (a good mood enhancer too, isn’t it?).

•  Nurturing your Gut: 

Gut is the gateway to good health! Your gut is full of tiny microorganisms that play a major role in your mental and physical health, particularly your moods and immune function. And when your gut is healthy, you can absorb nutrients from your food more efficiently that nourishes every system of the body. Nurture your gut health by eating more natural and healthy foods that feed the healthy bacteria living in there. 

We all often struggle to give ourselves a break; because life gets in the way with all its priorities. Despite living with this truth; it is extremely important to take out the time that you need to focus on yourself and your well-being. Self-care is not about just doing anything; it is about doing the right things that make you connect with yourself - through nutrition, exercise, meditation, social activities, or other ways.

So, how do you plan to put a self-care plan to practice?