How great is it to meet a beautiful soul who genuinely cares about people and making a difference to their health and wellbeing. That is what happened today. A group of us were fortunate to have Bec from "Raw Wellness Nutrition & Food Coaching" come and speak to us and help us on our health and Wellness journey. She certainly struck a chord with all of us, at one stage 3 of us having our own reflections and shedding a few silent tears!
BEC'S BACKGROUND
Bec launched her business in April of this year. She studied commercial cookery at TAFE and has also studied to be a nutritional food coach. She has worked for the well know Maggie Beer, working in her farm shop kitchen and supporting with research and prep work with Maggie's chefs - sounded very exciting! She is extremely passionate about a holistic philosophy when it comes to health. Not just nutrition, but movement, love (including self-love) and relationships. She expresses this beautifully without judgement and with kindness. She has a 6 year old boy (Jett) and a very supportive husband and you can tell Bec is passionate about providing them with the best education about nutrition and also teaching others with children. Before I share some of Bec's "nutrition non-negotiables", I must say the more I am learning about health and wellbeing the more I understand that how I talk to myself internally needs to change. I loved the Tony Robbins quote that Bec shares with us….
BEC'S NUTRITION NON-NEGOTIABLES
Let me share with you some of Bec's wisdom - her Nutrition Non-Negotiables........
HAVE A HEALTH FOCUS VERSUS A SKINNY FOCUS! When we focus on weight this brings stress into our life. Being stressed produces the hormone cortisol and the impact on our body can be just as bad if not worse than eating non-nutrient foods. Bec does not believe in diets as this just brings self-judgement. Instead fuelling your body in the right way so you can have the right amount of energy and a great lifestyle is the key. In this way your excess weight will fall off even when you are not focused on it. Food is her medicine and she counts nutrients and quality over quantity.
THE POWER OF MINDFUL EATING!
Bec's advice is to stop, sit and eat your meal. Instead of gulping it down in the car on the way to work, in front of your desk, or in front of the TV or your phone. Sit down with your loved ones with no technology, be present and communicate with them. She also explains that chewing a mouthful of food 20 times, putting down your fork in between and taking it slow is the best way to:
1. ensure you absorb all the nutrients of what you are eating and
2. help you to recognise when you are full.
Did you know it takes 20 minutes after eating for your body to acknowledge you are full.
SET SMALL ACHIEVABLE GOALS To ensure you are successful and as Bec puts it, "so the wheels don’t fall off". Pick one of your health goals and embed it as a routine, then move on to the next one. Take it slow, so you have balance and can work it into your lifestyle and that of your family. Especially with family this will help them get on board. To support us through this process, Bec introduced us to her Health Scale Tool. Step 1 - Ask yourself, how do you want to nourish your body and what do you believe in for example, whole real foods, vegetarian, paleo. "What foods serve me, and which foods do not?" Step 2 - List the foods to include in your health scale. Step 3 - How will I nourish my body following this tool. Some examples are; whole real foods using the 80/20 rule, minimal process/refined foods, meat 3 days a week etc Step 4 - Continue to check in with your health scale and review
COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY!
We are all different. One individual may choose a paleo lifestyle because it works for them and another something else. We all react differently to all types of foods. Ensure you get the right consultation and find the right path for you. Don’t compare yourself to others.
THE WAY YOU START YOUR DAY IS KEY! As the word indicates Breakfast - yes we need to break the fast! If you eat a breakfast that is high in sugar, an hour later you will feel hungry again and you also be craving more sugar. Starting your day with a nutritious breakfast not only gives you the right energy but gives you a better chance of continually eating well for the rest of the day.
KEEP A JOURNAL!
I love how Bec suggested we keep a journal. Record how you felt after you ate certain foods and in certain occasions. This can help you explore certain patterns to then make positive changes in your life. We had a great discussion about emotional eating. In some cases there can be an underlying issue or emotion and therefore we turn to food. The solution is get to the root cause of it and a journal may be a great way to explore the root causes. We need to be honest with ourselves. We talked about shame and how being ashamed is soul destroying. Bottom line, never be ashamed of anything.
THE DIRTY DOZEN & THE CLEAN 15!
Bec explained to us about organic foods and how they are better for our health. To support us on that journey, especially if we are on budgets, Bec explained about the dirty dozen and clean 15. If it is not possible at this point of time in your life to buy fully organic then if you can prioritise based on the fruits and vegetables which are sprayed the most versus ones which are the lowest in pesticides and other chemicals. Check out this website for further information.... Another trick is if your produce isn't organic you can soak it in water and apple cider vinegar, this will help to remove the chemicals.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bec's energy and all her advice, as you can tell from this blog she has some great posts, so here is her link to follow her on Facebook Raw Wellness. What I loved the most about Bec is how real, honest and easy to relate to she is. So I am going to finish this blog by sharing a very inspirational post by Bec below. My journey with Bec hasn't finished here I will be sure to update on my learnings for myself and my children in the future. Happy Health all. x
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