Your Opinion of Yourself & What and How You Eat. #2
Here I share a true story about a model patient who changed herself and changed her life. She did it with her new identity. And you can, too.
We talk about cutting through the clutter of confusing, die-hard, day-to-day obstacles when it comes to eating. A couple clarifying questions run through the whole discussion: “What would a healthy person do?” and "What would I do if I revered myself?”
We discuss intentions behind eating and the deeper reason fueling a food craving. You’ll find examples of practical tips and tricks that can get you thinking in new ways about making new habits and breaking old ones.
I share my desire to become an honorary “Pasta Granny.” Dianxi Xiaoge, another YouTube channel along with Pasta Grannies, give inspiration to really cook actual food. And the book Atomic Habits by James Clear connects environment and identity with new habits.
video content timeline
My model patient who transformed herself and got rid of addiction and chronic diseases [1:00]
An identity shift has more power behind it than a goal [5:49]
Here’s a question to clear up your tough day-to-day struggles about what and how to eat: “What would a healthy person do?” [7:00]
Your environment heavily influences you and vice versa. And you can modify it to your advantage [7:45]
Think of your mind as a type of environment you inhabit [8:35]
When changing habits, look to environment first [11:23]
One guy’s snacking trick: eat a snack only if the table is fully set [13:00]
Eating sweets trick: eat them only if you prepare them from scratch [13:32]
Plan what decision you will make when temptation arrives, like “When the waiter asks me if I want dessert, I will order mint tea.” (found in the book Atomic Habits) [13:54]
Rise above the impoverished food culture of the U.S.A. by learning to cook healthful food from scratch [15:33]
Two YouTube channels for inspirational examples (among many) of cooking real food: Dianxi Xiaoge [17:58] and Pasta Grannies [18:55]
A quality cookbook is preferable to most food blogs [19:56]
Priorities, and “I don’t have time” or “it’s too expensive.” How to pinpoint what your highest priority is: it’s the thing that always gets what it needs from you (credit to Alison Armstrong who taught me that) [20:20]
Other questions to cut through the muck: “What would I do if I revered myself or loved myself?” [22:08]
Dialogue with guest starts at [23:10]
“If you eat standing up at the fridge, pull up a chair.” [23:18]
Food might be a poor substitute for what your are reaching for in your life. Ask yourself, “What am I really reaching for?” [24:04]
Sugar cravings and a question for craving: “What is the intention I’m setting for my health and wellbeing?” [25:01]
She brought in more of what nourishes her instead of pushing out the sugar. Her actual preferences shifted and she no longer even wanted sugar: wanted salmon instead of burger and fries [25:50]
“Why am I sick?” is not the same as “How do I heal?” [28:46]
She makes routines (habits) and plans decisions ahead of time before later in the day when she will feel desperate and have a craving [30:02]
The morning sets the tone for the whole day for her [32:17]
No distractions when eating such as texting or watching something [32:43]
I have an accountability partner who I check in with each morning. I find it very valuable [33:48]
Expect to figure out a custom approach that works for you, an optimal life recipe [34:58]
The catalyst for the patient’s transformation from the story at the beginning of this video was a book she read [36:18]
Connection between sleep and hunger [37:54]
“What would the healthiest, wisest part of myself recommend right now?” “Which part of me is craving?” [39:38]
The exploration is ongoing, so what you find works for you might change as you age or circumstances shift [41:11]
resources
Two YouTube channels that model high regard for cooking: Dianxi Xiaoge and Pasta Grannies
Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear. And here is a nice video that summarizes the book.
Alison Armstrong taught me the question to figure out my highest priority: What in my life always gets whatever it needs from me?