This is the Key to a Healthy Relationship with Food

LEVEL 1 SURVIVAL Food+Drink

We have gone over what the root chakra focus is and discovered what an unbalanced root chakra looks and feels like. Now, let's dig deep in ourselves and find the root of the problem. The only way we can do this is to start at the bottom or as I discussed in my previous post the first level of the root chakra - survival.

Survival is about how your basic needs - food shelter + health - are being met. Naturally, one of the first things we all think about when it comes to survival is food (+ drink). Questions like; Have you had enough to eat? Want seconds? What's the restaurant on our next stop? Is the food good there? Should we go for brunch? or What's for dinner? are rooted in the foundation of our culture.

But what if that need to eat and fuel our body is being taken over by emotions or mindlessness? What if food has become a crutch for emotional triggers and in turn has caused weight gain? What if because of that weight gain food has now become something negative and 'evil'? What if you blame food for your weight gain and stop eating altogether? What if food is like a drug to you and you always seem to want it even when you are full? What if you always had a negative relationship with food because of how others have talked about food?

How do we get out of that vicious negative cycle with food? How do we reconnect with food and start to have a healthy relationship with it?

The first thing we have to remember is this - Food is just an energy source. It provides fuel for your body so that you can move and think. It's not good or evil - it's neutral (like Switzerland 😜).

The second thing to remember is whatever kind of relationship you've had with food in the past is in the past. Stop feeling guilty about it. You are trying to make a change NOW and that is what matters! Once you figure out the root of what caused this negative relationship with food, you will be able to move forward.

How do we do that? You ask. What is the key to moving forward? The KEY is mindful eating.

Wait...What is mindful eating?

I like explaining mindful eating as a form of meditation that includes the experience of eating. It's being aware of how we feel when we eat. It helps you recognize and cope with your emotions and understand your physical sensations surrounding food. Still don't know what I am talking about? Here is a definition from this article on the Joshua Hook blog:

"Mindful eating involves (1) eating with intention(i.e., to care for yourself and provide your body with the fuel it needs) and (2)eating with attention(i.e., noticing food and the effect it has on your body). "

It’s used to treat many conditions, including eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and various food-related behaviours. Ultimately it helps develop a healthy and balanced relationship with food and it's a great step towards balancing your root chakra. In my next post, I will be suggesting questions to ask while Mindful Eating.

Till then - keep meditating

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Photo by Nika Akin

Posts I Read While Researching

Level One Life

Positive Psychology Joshua Hook

NOTE: I am not a practising healer or specialist in this field - I am learning as I research more into these topics. If you have any more information please feel free to share in the comments below. :)