After reading O’s Words That Matter the next book I picked up was Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth. I am happy to say I’ve had really good luck with books lately because it was another good one. This book opened me up to new ways of thinking about my relationship with food.
Women, Food, and God motivated me to really start paying attention to true hunger cues and to stop eating when my body feels satisfied. There are lots of times when I don’t follow this. I really like what we are having so I finish what is on my plate, even though that pushes me past satisfied to overly full. With children we are often on a routine schedule. It makes life easier that way. When it is time for them to eat I need to evaluate how hungry I am, and not simply eat to eat.
There are also times when I let myself get too hungry. For me personally, when I am past hungry I start to feel faint and nauseous, which is how I know it has been too long. As a Mom there are those times you feed everyone else a couple of times, but haven’t taken a moment to feed yourself. Packing healthy snacks for myself, not just the kids could really help with that. When I go too long I tend to eat anything that is easy instead of the best healthy options, which I am more willing to take a moment to prepare when I am not starving.
Listening to your body about true hunger cues is an expression of self love. Eating only when you are hungry and not for any other reason- such as boredom, or as an escape from stress- means getting in touch with yourself and your emotions on a deeper level. Also, taking the time to sit down and eat without distractions- TV, radio, newspaper, or books- allows you to listen to your body’s signals. This is another area I need to work on. My normal morning routine is more like eating breakfast while unloading the dishwasher or packing for school. Basically, using our great multitasking skills is not ideal while eating.
Besides being motivated to listen to my body’s signals, I also felt empowered from reading Women, Food, and God. Roth speaks about how despite our past we are not broken, and that often we try too hard to fix ourselves that we don’t tap into the peaceful, whole human being that we are. She also makes us aware of “the voice” in our head. That crazy voice that makes up stories and what if’s. The voice that gets down on you and says hateful words. The voice gets in the way of the power of now.
When you catch your inner voice being crazy or making up stories or getting anxious, it really is as simple as telling it to GO AWAY. Try it the next time you hear the voice saying something negative about yourself, or getting worried. It is truly empowering. Telling the voice to vamoose exposes the peaceful, loving, whole being that lives behind the voice, you.
Reading Women, Food, and God helped me to feel more at peace with myself. As well, it renewed and motivated me in ways that I can treat myself with love and kindness. This translates positively into all aspects of your life, not just your relationship with food. I walked away from this book feeling uplifted and empowered. Books with the ability to tap into my soul are my favorite kind to read, and Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth was one of them!
I bid you farewell with an inspirational video of Geneen Roth on Women, Food, and God. Have a lovely day, friends!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Znw2UYH4c
Are you good at listening to your body’s full signals, or do you struggle with it like me?
