Ahhh February, the month of love and everything heart shaped, pink and chocolate.
Whether planning a romantic rendezvous or navigating the complexities of a solo journey, we can take this time to honor the most important love we can cultivate.
The one that transcends any outward circumstances.
The love within ourselves.
We hear so much of the importance of self love.
What is that unique formula to nourish all the parts of us in body, heart and mind, with the reverence, respect and kindness we deserve?
With space for pleasure and fun, but also for what is real and perhaps not very pretty?
In a world overloaded with conflicting information and antagonizing conditioning?
I’ve been sitting with this for the past few months, juggling the power of neuroscience, epigenetics, nutrition principles and the self-healing miracle that we are, tossing it all with a good amount of love and honor for Mother Nature and her nourishing elements, oftentimes taken for granted…
As a hypnotherapist, nutrition professional and chef with a creative mind that never stops, I have yet to find how to make flax seeds exciting, or the perfect balance between all my passions into one deliverable... However, I came up with a foundation for an every day sustainable diet, a combination of self-love, body-love and self healing activators that can be adaptable to any meal plan and life style of your choice.
I'm gonna call this the I LOVE ME DIET
Here are some of the ingredients:
♥︎The Presence Potion
The first ingredient in the I Love Me Diet is all about being present with our food, with our body, with the symphony of delightful flavors, fun textures and rainbow of sensations we are experiencing during this communion with food, our body and ourselves.
It is also about being present with what is real. Our true feelings and emotions.
Essentially, being fully present with room for all.
This experience is your gift
Food is information. This information and how we receive it, will build our bodies, and become who we are.
When we disengage from this process, we miss an incredible healing opportunity for self discovery, fulfillment and connection to ourselves, not found anywhere else.
So no more scrolling through social media while mindlessly eating.
Give your body, your food and yourself the attention they deserve, and you might discover inviting spaces within that you never knew existed.
♥︎The Sacred Yes/No Dance
You are the best judge of what works for you and what doesn't. You will know it in your body. However, you will miss the signals if you eat mindlessly. Ever done the "Should I? Shouldn't I?" tango when figuring out what to eat? In the I Love Me Diet, we trust our bodies to lead the dance.
It's about embracing the full body yes and no, like when someone suggests trying the latest kale turmeric smoothie cleanse bc of XYZ. Though it sounds great, check in with your body, trust that it knows what it needs, and don't be afraid to move at your own pace.
So, take note of professional advice, then turn to your gut (literally and figuratively) which has the wisdom to guide you.
♥︎Let Go of Perfection
Forget the pursuit of the Instagram-worthy grain bowl (...me!!) or the guilt over that extra slice of pizza. In the I Love Me Diet, perfection is off the menu. Embrace the beautifully messy, imperfect journey of nourishing yourself, where there is room for realness. Life is too short to stress over the perfect diet or the perfect body. Do educate yourself, and learn basic powerful nutrition principles that your body loves, that fit realistically in your life. Learn to apply them as often as possible, and release the need for everything to be flawless. Allow yourself to savor the delicious occasional chaos.
♥︎Be Kind. Be Gentle
Imagine your inner cheerleader with pom-poms and a megaphone, cheering you on even when you accidentally devour the entire bag of potato chips. The I Love Me Diet, makes kindness and gentleness towards yourself non-negotiable. Even more so when being kind and gentle is difficult… try it!
Say to yourself, as you tap on the center of your chest (your thymus gland):
“Even though I am being rude to myself right now, I deeply and completely love, accept and forgive myself”
(inspired by EFT, more on that later)
Treat yourself like your own best friend—encourage, uplift, and give yourself grace... Life can be challenging; the I Love Me Diet is meant to be the comforting hug you give yourself when things get tough, and the wide eyed YESS jumping with joy celebrating awesome choices.
So, in this month of everything pink and magical, let's feast on the I Love Me Diet, a delightful blend of lightheartedness, mindfulness and wisdom, served with a generous portion of presence, trust, imperfection, and kindness.
Choose your nourishment wisely in this grand feast of life.
Make self-love and body-love your main courses.
Chew slowly, savor gently, and let the moment uplift your greatest self.
Yayy you!!
Your biggest fan,
Claudia
Comment below your thoughts on this - or any other approach to cultivating Self Love and Body Love during the month of Love