Midweek Motivation: Fueling Your Body and Mind

Something I hear very often from many survivors is that they lack energy and stamina especially in the initial stages of dealing with a trauma. Having endured multiple traumas, I have felt this way many times. Through my own experience over the years, I have found that one way to help contend with trauma and with the lack of energy that comes with it, is fueling your body and mind well. This means prioritizing nutrition especially during times of stress by eating enough healthy foods.

Trauma is physically and mentally draining. When we are feeding ourselves too many unhealthy foods on a regular basis, we will feel even worse. Foods high in sugar can especially wreak havoc on us, leaving us feeling drained and in a mental fog.

While food can be used on joyful occasions and to bring us together, it is first and foremost fuel. When we choose real food (by this, I mean foods that are as close to natural as possible), we are tapping into our God-given ability to heal our bodies and even our brains. Food can either act as medicine and help to heal us or it can harm us.

Stress Eating

When we are stressed, it’s all to easy to start mindlessly eating. Oftentimes, the foods we grab lack proper nutrition. While this kind of behavior can be understandable, it doesn’t address or help the underlying causes.

We should use caution when using food as motivation to do things, and we should be careful about using it for comfort. Suffice it to say, most of us have experienced “those” days when nothing sounds better than indulging in an entire container of ice cream or a bag of chips. While one can argue that this is less harmful than, say, resorting to drinking, drugs, or other unhealthy behaviors, it’s still not addressing the underlying emotions causing us to overindulge.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you are feeling anxious and stressed and reaching for food:

Eating Enough

While many people overeat when they are stressed, there are also many people who tend to eat less. We might feel as if we lack the energy to eat, let alone prepare food, and maybe we lack an appetite. Our bodies need to be fueled well in order to operate efficiently. Think of your body like a car. A car can’t run on no fuel and it won’t run as efficiently on bad fuel. Our bodies are very much the same way.

If you are struggling to eat (whether due to time constraints or lack of an appetite), I recommend having some healthy options readily available and plan to eat your meals/snacks around the same time every day. Some people find that eating three meals a day works well for them. Others like to spread out their meals so that they are eating smaller meals every few hours. Everyone is different so find what works for you!

My Own Experience

Sometimes it can be helpful to hear about someone else’s experience with this issue, so I’ll share a little bit of my own experience with food as fuel. I have gone through many periods of my life when proper nutrition has not been a priority. Years ago, when I was in the midst of contending with multiple traumas (including clerical abuse, the death of a brother, and then cancer), I developed an eating disorder due to, not only poor body image, but to the stress I was living through. Nowadays as a busy mom, there are times when either I forget to eat or find myself eating due to stress. Through trial and error and with much effort, discipline, and help from others, I have learned to respect this earthly temple that God has given me. Finding a good, healthy balance and learning to fuel my body and my brain has been so freeing for me!

God has given us many resources to be at our best physically, mentally, and even spiritually. I have found that when my body feels weak, my spirit feels weak. When I am more mindful about caring for my body, I have more energy, stamina, and mental clarity. As a busy homeschooling mom of five kids, I’m going on little sleep these days. To still have a good amount of energy on most days is a pretty big deal! And I don’t even drink coffee!

Listen, living a healthy life doesn’t have to be anything fancy. There are so many experts out there trying to sell us this supplement and that supplement. I am not for a second suggesting that some of these things aren’t useful. As a matter of fact, they can be very helpful. However, no amount of pills, trendy diets, shakes, or powders are going to get your body or mind in top notch health if your nutrition isn’t right, if you’re not drinking enough water, and if you aren’t moving your body everyday.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years: It’s ok to have a treat. It’s ok to enjoy food. Food is one of God’s many gifts to us. It can bring us together and be a joyful thing! It can allow us to be creative and can be an outlet. For example, I love to bake, and it can be a stress reliever for me. I do have to be aware, however, of how much I am sampling my delicious baked goods. It’s all about balance.

I have come to the conclusion that what works for me personally is focusing on eating as natural as possible (think as close to earth as possible). Sure, food from a box or can is convenient. Sometimes we need something quick and convenient. However, when you concentrate on eating fresh foods, you will notice a world of a difference. It takes getting used to at first!

Every so often, I completely eliminate certain foods from my diet, sugar in particular. In case you are wondering, I’m talking about table sugar – I don’t count the sugar from fruits and veggies. Honestly, it’s tough for the first few days. Our bodies learn to crave certain things and so it needs time to readjust. It really is amazing to feel the cravings for unhealthy foods lift and gradually you start to crave better foods. The first time I completely detoxed from sugar years back, I could not believe how much better I felt. It was like gradually walking out of a fog and into a bright, new world. I had more energy, was more alert, could think clearer, and slept better. Actually, I feel much happier when I’m taking care of myself.

Some other tips

Here are some other tips I have learned over the years. You might find them helpful!

• If you want to eat healthy, don’t keep unhealthy foods around the house. I know it’s tough sometimes! Maybe someone sends your kids home with donuts or you are gifted with a box of chocolates, and you really want one (or all) of them. Saying “no” takes discipline. Don’t be afraid to ask God for strength to step away or to stop after one. However, whenever possible, fill your refrigerator and pantry with nutritious foods.
• Self-awareness is important when it comes to building good eating habits. Ask yourself if you are overeating or not eating enough and if the foods you choose are helping or harming you.
• As you eat, be mindful of when you start to feel full. Notice how different foods make you feel. And don’t allow a day of bad food choices or even one or two bad choices to break you. Even if you had a day where every meal consisted of fries, twinkies, pickles, and cake (that would be an interesting combination), don’t allow that to derail you. Start making better choices at your next meal.
• Start a food journal. This isn’t something you have to do forever unless you really want to, but it can be helpful especially in the beginning to write down what you are eating every day. I did this for awhile, and it really helped me to realize what I needed to improve upon. You just might find some unhealthy patterns and, if you do, you’ll be better able to replace harmful habits with better ones. For example, I discovered that I tend to get cravings for sugar in the mid-afternoon. I was able to combat this by planning ahead and having fruit, nuts, and tea ready for an afternoon snack.
• Get creative. If you have the time, spend some time finding new, exciting ways to prepare healthier foods. Healthy doesn’t have to be boring or ridiculously expensive. For example, if I have the urge to bake, I will sometimes prepare a batch of cookies to put away in the freezer for occasional treats for my kids. However, I will “healthify” my recipe by replacing butter with applesauce. I also cut way down on the sugar or replace the sugar with something more natural. Do some research on substituting healthier, more nutritious ingredients for things like sugar, butter, and even flour. This way of baking/cooking does require some getting used to. With time and patience, your cravings will gradually change.
• Ask a family member or friend to join you. You can help motivate each other!
• My parents taught me years ago to shop the perimeters of the grocery store as much as possible. This way, you’ll be sticking to more natural foods and grabbing less of the convenience foods. Also, never go shopping on an empty stomach! If you’re hungry, you’ll start grabbing things you really don’t need. Have a list and stick to it. By the way, there is no better time to stick to a list than now during this time of inflation. Getting only what you absolutely need really helps to save money. Talk about a great incentive!
• Check food labels. Learn what the different ingredients are. There are so many hidden ingredients and chemicals in a lot of convenience foods. For example, just because something says “no sugar” doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. That same product might contain aspartame which is really bad for you. The same is true for foods labeled “no fat” or “low fat.” Maybe the product is indeed lower in fat, but have you seen how much sugar is in there? By the way, all fats aren’t necessarily bad for you (there’s something else for you to research). I’ve learned that if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s probably not good. You really just have to do research on what constitutes a good, healthy diet. There is plenty of great information out there!
• Talk to your doctor. You can (and should) talk to your doctor about what will work best for you. If possible, ask about finding out about your vitamin and hormone levels. Sometimes that can be helpful in determining the sorts of nutrients you are lacking in and that can help you make better food choices. If necessary, your doctor can also help you find a good multivitamin.

You can do it!

This week I want to motivate you to properly fuel your body and to work on developing a healthy relationship with food. Try not to fall for fad diets but rather stick to developing a plan that you can follow long-term. We’re all different and what works for someone else might not work for you. That’s ok! Full disclosure, I am not a nutritionist or an expert on health and wellness, but always feel free to ask me any questions you have. I can certainly help point you in the right direction towards the experts.

Going through a trauma is draining enough as it is. Start fueling your body and mind right today and I promised you will be amazed at how much better you will feel. Eating better isn’t going to completely erase everything you’re going through, but you can feel better and experience greater healing in mind and body than you ever thought possible. Leading a healthy life isn’t always about looking a certain way (although that can be a bonus). It’s about respecting your earthly body and feeling your best. It’s about using the resources God gave us in order to discover greater healing, peace, and freedom in mind and body.

Yes, you are worth it!

Do you have a question about victimization and/or healing? Email me at AskASurvivor@ruthinstitute.org. Your name and personal information will never be used in my public responses.