I’m counting down the days until my book is released!!! I’m excited for several reasons. First, I’ve been pouring a lot of energy into this book. I am self-publishing, which I’ve never done. It’s a lot of work, who new? I have always enjoyed writing, and when I came up with the idea to write a book that condenses all the amazing tips I provide to my clients day in and day out, in an easy to understand, weight-neutral way, I hit the ground running (well, writing). Today I want to share with you a little about the framework I’ve created; a framework for optimal health and well-being. This is what research, and my anecdotal experience of working with people for twenty years, has shown to be most important for personal health and well-being (see image below).
First there are the foundations, Self-Compassion and Self-Attunement. These are important for getting us on the right path to start engaging in key health and lifestyle behaviors, which are adequate sleep, exercise and physical activity, adequate fiber and protein, and limiting or eliminating alcohol.
Image: Framework for Optimal Health and Well-Being
My book will go into more detail about the health behaviors, but today I want to focus on the important foundations.
Everyday someone says to me “I know what to do, I just don’t do it”. They are missing the foundations, self-attunement and self-compassion. Mix in a little confusion about what to do (this person says one thing, but that person says another), a misdirected focus (generally focused on weight, which can cause a lot of guilt, shame, and strengthens internalized weight bias), and there you have it, a cycle of being on and off the health wagon.
Let’s take a deeper look at these foundations.
Self-compassion, by definition, involves the same qualities as compassion. It requires that we are aware enough to stop and acknowledge our own suffering, then we use compassion to work through our suffering with kindness, and acceptance. Self-compassion helps us view mistakes as opportunities to grow. Without self-compassion we can’t improve, and move beyond the feelings of guilt and shame.
Another foundational piece of health and well-being is self-attunement. Attunement is the ability to be aware of and react to the needs of others. Self-attunement involves recognizing and responding to our own needs, emotional and physical. It involves tuning in and acknowledging our inner world, understanding what our bodies and minds require at any given moment, and responding to those needs. Practicing self-attunement is key to personal well-being and health, as we cannot give ourselves what we need to thrive, without first being fully aware, tuned in, and engaged with our body.
Thinking about these two crucial foundations for building on health and wellness behaviors, where do you stand? Do you practice self-compassion? Do you have self-attunement skills? Throughout my book I will provide tips for how to build on these foundations, and of course, plenty of further learning and resources to make sure you are successful!
Sign up for an inturance-covered appointment with me through Nourish!
Visit my personal business website; www.NutritionUnmeasured.com
Check out my 10-module self-paced intuitive eating course on my new You Tube channel!!
