Food and Mood
Food to Mood How does Food Drive Your Mind? A study of some 8,964 people found that eating junk and fast food has a negative effect on mental health. People tend to eat foods to satisfy their immediate urges but, lose sight of the effect it has on how they think move and act. Perfect little story is that one day I come home to find my Nephew hanging around on the couch watching tv. I said hello, how are things, whats new, etc… Funny enough I felt like I was talking to an old shrivled up baked potatoe. I thought is that how teens act? Well maybe, I thought… But, why? and why on somedays are they moving with pep in their step and a smile on their face and other days forehead to the floor knuckles dragging? What makes it so blatently obvious? Then it hit me, lack of filters… That’s it! They have no filters, they don’t care what other people think of them. So, when they are up, they are up but, when they are down they are down and they won’t try and pretend either way like most adults would. Anyhow, long story short later that day I come to find out that he went out on his own and purchased at the corner store a giant size of artificial chocolate milk and a bag of Doritos cheese chips. AH HA! What goes in, must come out! With him, what came out was massive amounts of depression as his brain cells were attempting to work on artificial flavoring, colors, fillers and preservatives. His body and his mind required nutrition and created a hunger craving. Instead of feeding his mind vitamins, nutrients and food that was produced by the energy of the sun he decided to satisfy his lowest level need. The need to be safe, safe by being full rather than being vital. Big difference between the two is that eating to fulfill the “full” feeling is a reptilian reaction like one you may get from an animal that is cornered. The other, eating to feel vital and fulfilling your bodies nutrient needs, is much more strategic like a game of chess. Sound difficult? Well, it is if you don’t know the “rules of the game”! While practicing with Fire Shaper we will work to support your health and hot yoga practice. We are truly experts in our field of hot yoga, nutrition and overall wellness. With nearly two decades of experience and working hands on with Tens of Thousands of people we have compiled some really great data to help you on your path of health and happiness. Here are some very general principles to get you playing this game from a more “strategic” point of view.
WHAT TO DO FIRST?
- 1. Look at the food that you are consuming, read the labels and if there are words that you can’t pronounce opt in for something different
- 2. Ask yourself why you are deciding to eat or drink something… Is it because of its color, the marketing of the container, or maybe a commercial you saw
- 3. Be prepared with some alternatives by educating yourself online. Find recipes, ask friends, google “healthy alternatives to…”
- 4. Write down your goals, what outcomes are you looking for? Be as specific as possible…
- 5. Eliminate silly things from your consumption like: Artificial Sweetners, MSG, Trans-Fats, & Sodium Benzoate. These chemicals are sure to destroy your thought processes.
SO WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
- Practice with Fire Shaper regularly, at least 3 times per week. The practice of hot yoga increases your awareness not only physically but mentally and spiritually. Eventually you will begin to realize different things that drive you like color or texture. You will even begin to feel how food affects you immeditately after you consume it. This is very valuable feedback and all can start in a simple hot yoga class with Fire Shaper.
- Usa a Diary, write how you felt after you’ve eaten a certain food. Writing things down will help you to see patterns in your behaviour and energy.
- When you come across something new whether it’s a healthy alternative or a sneaky chemical hidden away in your food share it with others. Go for something fresh, something that your innate intelligence knows is good for you.
FINAL WORD:
- So, What is Good? What is Bad? What is Ugly?
- Good – Stick with Nature first. Though we are modifying our foods at exponential rates and creating new species of foods it is still a better alternative to un-naturaly processed food products.
- Buy Organic when you can, strive to support local farmer initiatives and money spent now will save in healthcare costs later.
- Bad – Really Bad… It’s the fake stuff, Artificial this, food color that, MSG, and an assortement of other chemicals most of us have a hard time pronouncing.
- Ugly – Really Really Ugly… Like Titanium Dioxide used in SunProtection creams can also be found in Ranch Style Salad Dressing.. YUMBO! Those UV rays won’t get your organs!
- Fellow humans please read your labels and buy from companies that operate with a conscious.
As always with any nutritional advice if you are concerned or have special circumstances please consult your primary health care provider for information specific to your situation 🙂