I had oatmeal for dinner. Wait. Before you go back to Angry birds, let me tell you the story. I’ve had a stressful time lately and have not been making the best food choices.

So I’ve been feeling a little “juicy” as my buddy calls it, and then that makes me feel yucky and I get down on myself because i’m tired and stressed out. And then i make more poor choices. So Sunday I was tired of making choices that make me feel lousy. I made the conscious decision to really take care of myself this week.

I’ve finally realized that what tastes good doesn’t necessarily make my body and mind feel good. It took me a while. And that there are foods that make both my body and mind feel good.

It’s funny because we’re always looking outside ourselves for the ideal diet for food plan.  When really the best source of info is right under our noses.  Our own bodies tell us after each meal whether it was a good experience or not.

After a meal, do we feel like we just consumed a large animal?  All bloated and sluggish and tired?  Or do we feel energized and alive, like we’ve just eaten the *very thing* that our body really needed?

Before I figured this out I used food like a big stick.  If it was time to tighten things up (literally and figuratively) my point of view was that i’ve been having way too much fun and so now it’s time for the stockade.  Now i will beat up on myself and eat nothing but bread and water (figuratively speaking).

But thankfully i’ve become a bit less judgemental in my life and i can say, meh, it’s a couple pounds, it’s not about my value as a person.  And i know how to lose them because it sure isn’t the first time i’ve decided to “tighten up”.

Since tuning into how food makes me feel, i notice that I really like the foods that make me feel good.  Or I’ve figured out which foods taste good to me and are good for me.  It’s key.

So yeah i had oatmeal for dinner because I knew it wouldn’t bother me when i taught yoga an hour later.  I also made it with cinnamon (helps balance your blood sugar), coconut oil (healthy fats) and whole milk (just damn yummy) so that it tasted good and i felt good about eating it too.

I took it a step further and made two lunches of salmon salad with avocado because salmon and healthy fats are supposed to help your mood (i can’t remember where i read it, but who cares, i love both of them).

I made myself a reiki and a massage appointment.  I’m also making sure i get my exercise – not bootcamp sweatfests necessarily, walks and yoga, heck any exercise, vastly improves my mental health too.  So I’m going with the energy I have to figure out what exercise is best.

I’m spending this week focusing on being kind to myself. I’m done with going through challenging times with a stiff upper lip.  I’m tired of just driving on through.  I want to be my own *biggest* support.  Figuratively speaking.