Becoming in tune with your body is the best way to improve your life slowly over time.

Lunch Hour Lesson #23

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In our society, we’re sometimes given the impression that to feel pain or discomfort is to be weak. We should push through without complaint. Or, that giving thought to small things is a waste of time. Things like constantly needing to clear our throat, stomachaches, dizziness upon standing. It’s just the way things are, probably. Just an annoyance.

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The body gives us signals that something can be improved, if we learn how to read these signals.

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Let’s make clear that there is a difference between being hypochondriac vs. being observant. Noticing how you feel doesn’t mean you’re looking for something bad, or trying to find an illness that isn’t there. There is no judgment, just observation. Is that shoulder pain more nagging if I sit this way? This way?

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After you eat a meal or snack, what is your mood like? Do you feel bloated? Are you happy? Clear headed? Irritable?

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Do you sneeze a lot? Each time you sneeze, does there seem to be a common trigger? Maybe it was something you ate? Or a particular location you walked into?

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We can say that “what gets monitored gets managed”. No outcome is bad or good – it is just information. The important point here is to notice cause and effect relationships.

RESTART® Snip

I will teach you a strategy to re-introduce foods that had been eliminated.

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The best way to do this is to keep a food and mood journal. This would be most effective for a person who feels generally unwell and can’t figure out what the cause would be. I suggest to start with a 6 day journal. The next month, do a 3 day journal. And then, try to journal at lest one day a month.

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Tracking food and movement can lead to positive dietary and lifestyle changes even without consciously trying to make that change.

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As you look back over time, you can see how different foods, sleep and wake times, beverages, supplements, and movement affect your energy, mood, and digestion.

Weekend Tip

Do a mental body scan. Where are you holding tension? Where is there discomfort? Assess each part of your body. Write down your thoughts afterwards.