Enjoy Everything

I have one overarching rule about food that applies on and off the cleanse. It is the most important rule you can have with regard to eating, diet, and nutrition.

ENJOY EVERYTHING.

And I mean everything: enjoy the farmer’s market fresh lightly steamed kale drizzled with organic olive oil and sea salt AND enjoy the bag of ChexMix you grabbed at the gas station during a road trip.

Enjoy everything. Thoroughly and completely.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in “should,” “should not,” “Why did I eat the pint of Ben and Jerry’s?” and “Why don’t I eat more veggies?”  etc.

How you eat matters just as much, if not more, than what you eat.

I know, a pretty radical statement coming from someone who has spent the past 2 decades telling folks what to eat while on the 21 Day Program.

And paying attention to what you eat is important. It’s how you deepen your relationship with the one and only body that you get this lifetime. It is a pathway to a more harmonious relationship between your mind and your body. That is good.

And…yet….but….how you engage in the sacred/mundane act of feeding yourself multiple times a day matters. A lot.

Emotions are energy. When you permeate your meal with guilt, shame and self-judgment, the energy of those emotions permeates your cells. When you permeate your meal with pleasure, enjoyment, and zest for life, those emotions permeate your cells.

Same food, different energy, different results.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that you dive into eating foods that your body doesn’t appreciate. You’ve spent too much time and energy clarifying and honing your nourishment relationship with your body. Please continue to respect what your body needs.

I am suggesting that you start watching your emotions and attitudes towards your food choices, and see if you can allow yourself to 100% enjoy whatever it is you decide to eat.

This is not as easy as it sounds. We have all been steeped and permeated with our own unique blend of food wanting, food guilt, and food shame. It’s not simple to drop those internal dialogues.

But choosing to consciously shed the self-judgemental overtones of your internal conversations and to replace them with the intention of “I 100% enjoy everything I eat” will improve both your mental as well as physical health.

Guilt-less eating makes for better digestion,
Kirstin Lindquist
Owner, 21 Days Manager

If you have not yet discovered this wonderful recipe that is part of our 21 Days Sample Meal Plans, try it out this week. Great for dipping!

• 1 large head cauliflower, approx 5 cups florets

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 tbsp water, or more for desired consistency

• juice from 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

• pinch of ground coriander

• pepper, to taste

• garnish with olive oil, sunflower seeds and chopped parsley

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Remove the florets from the head of cauliflower and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or avocado oil) and toss to combine. Place the baking tray in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

3. Transfer the cauliflower to your Vitamix or a food processor. Add the tahini, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, cumin, and coriander. Add pepper to taste. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sunflower seeds and chopped parsley.

Approximately 6 servings