Take Control of Food ~ Ask Your Heart What It Needs

"Nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven!" That’s what Pillsbury used to say back in the ‘60s when the little dough boy would appear on TV commercials. It conjured an aspect of nurturing. Or so we were led to believe!

Since that time food has continued to take center stage as a way to make us feel good. We use it to feed emptiness and loneliness, or calm fear and anger. Given a collective national deficiency in those areas, the more food the better.

Whatever taste we crave, the food industry has stepped up to respond by layering chemical concoctions, along with heaping measures of salt, sugar and fat to feed those cravings.

As a result, what we know about eating right gets shoved aside anytime we’re within range of food laced with those addictive elements.

Not so with the good stuff.

It’s so simple ~ If you eat it, you’ll feel good, and you won’t crave more.

Here’s the key. Keep a supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts around, and toss the bags of potato chips, the bottles of ranch dressing and mayo, or the left-over birthday cake.

Some other hints ~

Graze throughout the day and make your meals smaller.

Make a half sandwich instead of a whole one. Balance it with an apple instead of chips.

If you eat out a lunch, make it a larger meal than supper. Opt for home made soup as an evening meal.

Drink water, water, water! It’s the elixir of life. (Soda pop isn’t!)

Like leaving any other addiction behind, not indulging in the old “comfort foods” may feel like you’re entering unfamiliar territory.That’s because you are.

But at the same time, you can discover that there are better ways to nurture yourself ~ like learning something new, exploring the outdoors, changing hugs with someone you love, or a heart-to-heart talk that clears the air. It's a way of rediscovering passion.

Nurture your heart. Then the food part will be easy.