A Checklist to Understand YOUR Body Better, Through Food

The more I learn about food, the more I question what I put into my body.  I often find myself battling with what foods I should eat.  It is a constant struggle because I'm still trying to understand how my body reacts to certain foods.  I wish we could understand our bodies perfectly but we don't.  And even doctors don't either.  Everyone is different.  As my mom put it perfectly, "Everyone has their own Word of Wisdom they need to follow."  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  A lot of people try to follow the latest and greatest Fad diets out there.  They all have a name for marketing purposes- Paleo, Vegan, South Beach Diet, Atkins, HCG,  Weight Watchers,  Jenny Craig...So on and so forth.  But not a single person is a "cookie-cutter" of another individual.  So how can someone possibly say this is how "YOU" should eat.  Well...really, they can't.  

I want to take responsibility for my own eating choices and come to a conclusion of what foods help me feel good inside and out and what foods don't.  And frankly that's what my food choices have evolved in to.  Instead of saying...IS THIS GOING TO MAKE ME GAIN WEIGHT?  

Instead I ask myself-- Is this going to make me feel my best?

If you have transferred your thinking process in this direction as well, I promise you that saying no to certain addicting foods will become A LOT easier!

So here's my checklist of questions I ask myself 

Is this food choice right for me?:

• If late in the evening, is it going to keep me up at night?
• Is it going to make my blood sugar spike?
• Is it going to make me feel anxious afterwards?
• Will the food give me proper energy for the day, my workout, etc.?
• Will the food make me feel bloated and uncomfortable afterwards?
• Will the food cause digestive issues, IBS, constipation, etc.?
• How much of this food group have I already consumed today (processed foods, sugar, etc.)?
• What has this food done to me in the past? 
• Is it a trigger food? (leads to overeating)
• Will this food cause a slugglish aftermath?
• Am I eating this food to make me happy after a hard day?

No one knows your body better than you!

So get to know your body BETTER with these questions every time you grab a snack or make your breakfast in the morning.  These questions motivate me to make better and healthier choices throughout my day.  And sometimes I don't listen to my answers and eat 5- 6 or 7 Oreos anyway.

Gosh-Dang-It Oreos are so good!

It's hard to be healthy 100% of the time.

I've been trying to follow the 80/20 Rule.

And it's definitely more doable!

So next time you put food into your mouth....ASK yourself those 11 questions and you'll find that eating for how you FEEL and LIVE will make more sense.  You are eating for YOU not some random person just trying to make another buck off you.