By Dr. Gail Cloud, D.C.
Here we are in the middle of the fall season. I think of orange and black, red and yellow, cats and jack o lanterns, pumpkins, costumes, cool brisk nights, and Candy, caramel apples, pumpkin bread, muffins, pumpkin spice coffee.
The next to come is Thanksgiving and turkey, stuffing, casseroles, pumpkin pie. And then follows candy canes, chocolate treats, ham, pineapple, cookies, and more cookies, eggnog, parties.
I can’t count the number of times people have said to me: I’ll start after the holidays. And also the number of times I have said to myself, just one more cookie, or just one more day and then…..
Diets work for a short while, and then most of us gain the weight back. We hear the words: it is a lifestyle change, not a diet, that works. Yet, that is one of the hardest things to do; to change our lifestyles.
The other day I was at a local coffee shop with my sister. I was drinking a cappuccino and having an omelet, perfectly satisfied with my meal. And yet, at the display case by the cash register, there were cookies and scones and muffins. For me, what is particularly tempting are the muffins for a very particular reason. I am gluten free, and they had gluten free muffins. Oh I was so tempted. The problem was that I wasn’t hungry, and not only that, my stomach was telling me that it didn’t really want it. It didn’t want it even later in the day. As much as I like muffins, they are very filling and often I feel best if I don’t eat real filling things after my meal. I like to snack on some fruit, and maybe have a decaffeinated coffee with some coconut milk or something. That feels good to my stomach. Then at dinner I am hungry, and can enjoy a good salad, vegetable, some protein and maybe even some rice. If I eat that muffin, I often feel stuffed, and my stomach bloats. I know that so well, and yet, I almost got that muffin.
My mind wanted the muffin, but my body didn’t. I find, if we really take the time to listen to ourselves, that is often the case with things. This could be with food, or drink or cigarettes, or many other things. Our bodies have such a truth to them. When we can really listen to our bodies, we learn so much about ourselves. We don’t always know what our body is saying to us, but we know by how it feels whether something is good for us or not. Think about all the times, if we pay attention, our stomachs tighten, or our necks clench, or our shoulders rise, or we find we are getting a headache. The message is that something is happening that we are reacting to, but we may not know what it is. What we do know is that it is a good time to slow down and listen. Our thoughts are frequently tied to old ways of thinking and old stories we have told ourselves and we have within us. Our bodies tell us the truth in the moment.
So if we take the time and listen to our bodies and don’t let our thoughts rule us, we often can make much better decisions for ourselves. This is especially true where food is concerned.
As the holidays come upon us, let us pay attention to our bodies, and no matter what our thoughts tell us, maybe our bodies just don’t want it.
How to change your diet? Listen to your body!
To make an appointment with me to learn more about this, how to listen to your body, and/or to find a lifestyle that works best for you, call me at: 314-995-9755; or email at: gail@bodypresencing.com.
Also on my website, you can check out my other offerings: evolutionary astrology, Family Constellations/Inherited Family Trauma, medical astrology, chiropractic. www.bodypresencing.com