Gratitude diet

Appreciation is one of the keys to happiness and it can even help you lose weight! It only takes a small, deliberate effort to achieve happiness and better health.

Moments of gratitude gives us a peaceful place for our minds and souls to rest. When they rest, our bodies follow. Instead of gasping for air with shallow breaths, we start to calm down and take longer, deeper breaths. As our heart stops racing, we suddenly feel the fog in our heads lift and we begin to think with clarity.

Indeed, appreciation is the doorway to living a more fulfilled life, but we have to make a conscious effort to have a grateful attitude. People who keep gratitude journals have been found to be happier simply because the act of writing down what you are thankful for reminds you of the things you take for granted. This also forces us to sit down to quietly contemplate, which means we actually have to spend some time away from our phones and other electronic devices. Getting unplugged from the world for even 10 minutes a day can be very healing. At the very least, it gives us the chance to plug into something much more important. If we value ourselves, then surely we can afford 10 to 15 minutes a day to regain our balance. 

Finding that special something

You might wonder what all this has to do with a desperate dieter because, so far, food has not even entered the equation! However, I find that the more balance in my life, the less I am frantically looking for that delicious something to satisfy my constant hunger. Finding that special something that satisfies the soul’s hunger, that deeper longing of our heart’s desire, is truly the key. This is always a work in progress, as it’s our constant struggle to continually search for more than we already have. For some, it is food that fills that gap, for others it is alcohol or some other vice. You might think this is harmless, but here is the problem: it’s only temporary. It numbs you up for just long enough to enjoy the taste of whatever flavour your taste buds are craving, only to have to face reality the next morning when you wake up to bloating, self-loathing, tighter clothing and a piercing headache to top it off. 

Dear desperate dieter, take it from an expert — it is not worth it. Of course we will still indulge, but let us not do it as often as we used to. Let us band together and empower each other to take our lives back and stop numbing our pain with food. It is not going to solve anything, so let us have the courage to face life head on and quit eating when we should be doing something else instead. 

As we find ourselves invited to many delicious gatherings, my challenge to each of us is to say “yes” to our souls and “no“ to the high calorie items that we really do not need to invite into our waists this year! Let us just choose our absolute favourite foods and eat a small portion, focusing instead on enjoying being with the people around the table! That is going to be my goal this year. 

On that note, I would like to leave you with a card my grandmother sent me when I was in college. I thought I would share it with you, as it humorously describes how challenging our relationship with food can be and how it does not have to stay that way! It is a daily choice we make. My late grandmother Sidonia would be so honoured that her card is being shared three decades after she mailed it! I am grateful for each of you and for the opportunity to let you know that you are not alone on this journey. Keep on!

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine