Good morning everyone and happy Wednesday! Welcome to the Steelworks kitchen and man it’s an exciting day.
I just finished my second stab some naturally fermented sourdough bread. Damn, this looks great!
Anywho, If you are struggling with nutrition outcomes, it’s understandable. There are so many schools of thought out there and scholars produce so many conflicting pieces of data that figuring out the “best” or “right” approach can be daunting.
I’ve helped a lot of clients over the years transform their relationship with food. To me, food, meals, eating, what have you, is an experience that needs to be joyful.
So what do I mean by “eating should be joyful’? What I mean, is that food should be an opportunity to create, to savor, to share. When we cook a meal at home, when we eat slowly, and when we share food with others, man, food becomes something more than just calories. It becomes a chance to become an artist, to explore different tastes and textures, and to take part in an activity with people we love and care about.
“But Brian, I don’t have the time, energy, space, to eat like this all of the time!”
A common response I’ve heard throughout the years.
My answer: it doesn’t have to be all of the time. Start small.
Instead of weighing your food and counting your macros, start cooking 1 meal 3x, 2x, heck even once a week. Eat that meal slowly. And in a distraction free space. Chew your food. Put your fork down between bites.
You see, not only is this helping you enjoy your food more, but (and here’s me being sneaky) you are going to develop the skill of becoming more aware of when you are hungry and when you are full.
You can have the best designed macro plan, but if you rush a meal and shovel food in your mouth, you’ll reduce your chance of being able to develop awareness around those cues! The supposed “right” amounts of food might not be right for you based on the signals you interpret while you are eating. Again, though….you’ll never know if you aren’t slowing down.
So, before you go looking for that magic diet or supplement, bring back some joy to meals and eating. You’ll surprise yourself at just how transformative this little mindset shift can be!