February is known for Valentine’s Day and being the month of love, but this February let’s talk about sending some of that love to ourselves. Celebrity health consultant, Kelly LeVeque has shared some helpful tips on how to love your body through the food you eat.
First we want to think about stress relief, Kelly talks about how important it is to make time for yourself at least once a day. Figure out what helps you relax, from binge watching Netflix, taking a hot bath or a long walk, adding this to your daily routine is beneficial for your overall health.
Next LeVeque mentions reinforcing the positive. We tend to focus on our negative attributes, or all the “to-do” items we didn’t complete in a day. By making an active choice to positively focus on our achievements, no matter how small, or compliment ourselves each time we look in the mirror, our outlook can change drastically.
Another important step in loving and accepting yourself is to stop disappointing yourself with the ups and downs associated with fad dieting, and cleanse cycles. LeVeque says, “Happiness and health are attained when you find balance,” she writes, in an article for The Chalkboard. “Balance isn’t when you stop moving and live a rigid, on-plan, perfect life; you are human, and none of us is perfect. When you are focused on a perfect food day you aren’t present, and most likely you are anxious, irritable and thinking about food all day.”
Last but not least Kelly discusses the importance of our relationship with the foods we eat. She uses The Fab Four as a guideline. The fab four is simple: protein, fat, fiber, and greens. When these four types of food are eaten together, they work in conjunction to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need, and will help you stay full longer, which helps eliminate the desire to snack.
If you’re interested in a fuller exploration of these ideas, check out LeVeque’s “Body Love.” In the meantime, make time to focus on loving yourself daily.