How to Get More Nourishment In Your Life
Hey friend! Hope you're having a good start to the week. We had a busy weekend...all good things...but busy all the same. So getting back into the week took a little coercing to get motivated. But, grateful for a weekend that, though busy, was life-bringing all the same! Which is not always the case for this introvert.
Today I wanted to share with you guys something that's been on my mind lately. It's an amazing concept that was sparked by my friend, Paige Schmidt, in one of her recent podcast episodes that she was a guest on. And that is the concept of our sources of nourishment.
Did you know that food is not all that nourishes your body? I bet when you think of being well nourished, you think of eating salads and drinking smoothies. But maybe you didn't think about other things in your life, crucial things in your life, that add to your nourishment. Living a healthy and well nourished life is so much more than what you feed your body.
In this podcast episode that I was listening to with Paige, she mentioned the concept of "primary nutrition" and "secondary nutrition", something she was taught at IIN.
Primary nutrition is everything besides food that fills up your life and makes you a more fulfilled person while secondary nutrition is simply what you feed your body.
Notice that primary nutrition, aka the primary source of nourishment for your body, is NOT relating to food! Food is secondary. Important, yes! But secondary.
I used to believe, and you may be feeling this way too, that in order to be healthy I had to micromanage what I ate. Maybe you feel this way too and believe that HEALTHY = PERFECTION. And maybe the reason you're believing this is because you're believing that food is primary when it comes to nutrition.But can I tell you something? You CANNOT have a healthy body unless you FIRST have a healthy mind. And a healthy mind is cultivated by all of those secondary nutrition things.Things like...
spending time with family and friends.
gathering with other people who believe what you believe, such as in church.
volunteering and helping those less fortunate than you.
being a generous person.
enjoying nature & creation.
reading a good book
making the most out of your job.
finding your passion in life.
If all that you're focused on is the food aspect of nutrition, you're going to miss a whole lot of other nourishment that comes from these areas of your life. The obsession with only seeking out nourishment from food leaves no room for our primary nutrition from everything else that is good and satisfying in our own lives, and all the while depletes us of our joy with eating that food and making it less whole-body nourishing. Believe it or not, not enjoying your food and being stressed around the table robs you of nutrition from the food that you're eating. So, lesson learned...enjoy your primary and secondary food.So, if you're wanting to add more nourishment to your life...here's what you do.
Get out, make friends, have a drink!
Give yourself permission to get close to people. And don't be afraid to learn from others. This past year I've learned a lot about being a friend since I've had to make all new friends for the first time since elementary school. And one thing that I've learned is that, even if someone intimidates you or someone has a quality about themselves that you like, look at how you can learn that person. If you're so caught up in what others will think of you or so focused on yourself, what you're eating, what your body looks like next to someone else, you'll quickly miss out on the nourishment that can come from that friendship! Be open with people. Let people into your life. Get into other people's lives. Go out and have fun, laugh, do stupid stuff without caring. Your body and mind will thank you!
Start your day with mental nourishment.
After a glass of water with apple cider vinegar and lemon essential oil (something I've started to help my digestive health), I sit on my couch, cuddled up with my dog laying beside me and I read/journal for about 20 minutes. I haven't always had a good morning ritual, though. But I've found that by starting my day with some morning reflection and reading things that lift me up and encourage me before I begin my day, I'm much more likely to stay positive. Filling your mind with nourishment, from reading life-bringing books to meditating on simple truths such as, "I am enough!", is such an easy way to add more positive to your life. AKA your primary nutrition. Write down a couple things that you feel would make up your ideal morning, then try that sequence out for a week and notice the difference it makes in your day!
Make time for hobbies.
I'm as guilty as any of letting my work come before my own self care. I turn to spend time worrying about things instead of releasing them and making time for doing the things I love. So whether you love to knit or paint or hike or visit farmer's markets, make time to do the things you love, no matter how busy you feel you are! This may mean skipping a gym day to go outside and go hiking or staying inside and curling up with a good book. Remember, these things you love are adding to your primary nutrition and aren't wasting time!I hope you're able to see that there's so much more to being healthy than what you eat. A full and healthy life encompasses your whole body, everything that goes in it but also just as important (or more important) is everything that you surround yourself with.
What are you doing to bring nourishment to your body, mind, & soul?