It is currently winter as I write this. I love a good salad yet crave more warmth in the winter months. I also love feeling cozy and hate sacrificing needlessly. Instead of forcing myself to eat a salad so that the greens in my fridge don't go bad, I found an alternative way to cook greens that I fell in love with. This approach turned cooked greens into a favorite comfort food for me. My love for comfort, and comfort foods, is why I decided decades ago to fire dieting and learn how to eat intuitively and intentionally. It was one of the best, most freeing decisions I've ever made on behalf of my future self. Along my journey to healing with food, I've learned much about myself, true hunger, false hunger, and the body's extraordinary communication system. I also discovered myths that society and dieting companies perpetuate. Those that know me well know I LOVE myth-busting. So, let's bust a myth today! For years I harbored an unconscious belief that "healthy eating requires sacrifice and is a bummer." As a health consultant, I learned I was not alone. This myth was widespread and kept people from reaching their health potentials. While this myth can ironically be true, the good news is that it doesn't have to be true at all. In fact, those of us who LOVE food can embrace the thousands of recipes, flavors, and food combinations that we have available to us in the modern world. No sacrificing is needed! For example, here is a list of foods hated:
Yet, the more I openly explored different recipes and was open to trying new things, I found ways to absolutely love the foods listed above. Yep, not tolerate… love them! Different food combinations bring foods to life in completely unique ways! For example, I discovered:
Of course, my examples won't necessarily be yours, so I invite you to expand your love of food into finding more and more delicious healthy recipes that are fun to make and leave you feeling amazing! The next time you come across a "health food" that you don't like, consider "Maybe I just haven't found the right recipe yet?" We don't have to sacrifice or force ourselves to eat things we don't like. We can be adventurous explorers and find the healthy recipes and food combinations that WE love. I wish you happy and fun adventures in the kitchen! Below is a picture of the greens sitting in my fridge that I wilted with cracked pepper and thoroughly enjoyed with dinner tonight! I added some yellow squash for color and extra veggies for fun variety. After discovering a way to cook greens that I loved, I often eat them on their own for breakfast with a side of poached eggs. Nom nom! #FindYourHappy ![]() ![]() Laurel Elders is a Professionally Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation, a Certified Executive Coach (CEC), trainer, author and CEO of the coach training Institute for Integrative Intelligence. Laurel wrote Eating With Heart: The Five Steps to Breaking Free from Emotional Eating in 2012 to help women break free from emotional eating, take their power back, and gain lasting peace with food. Her Five Step process places women back in touch with themselves and invites a permanent healthy transformation. Laurel's coaching methodologies are based on integration, self-development and self-actualization. Laurel and her husband reside in Tucson, AZ, have four grown children, and appreciate life’s blessings above the challenges. Ready to learn the Five Steps to Breaking Free from Emotional Eating? Click HERE to purchase.
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January 2022
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