Weekly #healthtip — Crowd Out!
How “Crowding Out” Helps You…
Here we are, deep in the holiday season. At every turn, cookies, sweets, and cocktails galore are abundantly flowing. Do you throw out all rules, indulge beyond your comfort level, and say you’ll do better come 2018? Now, you should absolutely be able to enjoy yourself without the guilt, but if all of the indulging leaves you feeling less than stellar, then perhaps there is a better way.
Is it about setting limits or boundaries? Maybe. Or, maybe it is about adding in more “good” stuff, so there isn’t as much room for the other stuff that leaves you feeling bloated, blah, and just plain crappy. Ask yourself this question and continue to go back to it: “How does it make me feel?”
When you eat more veggies and fruit, drink more water, and choose healthier grains, then by default you are automatically “crowding out” what doesn’t make you feel good. So, it is not about depriving yourself or taking away anything, but it is about adding in more of the healthier nutrient-dense foods that keep you feeling fuller longer.
Crowding out is a concept I learned in my Health Coach Training Program, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I received my Health Coach Certification. This is a concept that I deeply believe in, as I live and breathe by this mode of being.
When you fill your body with more water and more veggies, then your cravings for the highly processed, sugary foods/drinks will naturally diminish. Crowd out to feel great. By adopting this concept, your entire mindset shifts, as you are not telling yourself what you can’t have, but instead allowing more.
Bottom line is, the holidays (and life!) are to be enjoyed, without depriving yourself of the things you like…as long as they don’t leave you feeling badly. Again, how do you want to feel? Go after a feeling, and don’t look to food to fill that feeling…it’s a void that cannot be filled by food.
Give it a try — crowd out to bring in the goodness. Wishing you a holiday season filled with joy, love, and peace!
