How I Make Meal Time An Act Of Self-Care

It is true that self-care has become quite the buzzword in wellness arenas over the past few years. Yet, I can’t get enough of finding ways to practice self-care in different areas of my life to get the most out of my time. I must admit, after my diagnosis, I began to view food as poison and a certain enemy that could cause tiny, yet excruciating sources of pain. When I examined my relationship with food over the years, I realized that this relationship was not the healthiest and that I viewed food as something that was mostly only essential for survival. I basically ate when I was hungry and in a fashion that didn’t allow me to savor the experience. Now, I’ve begun to truly enjoy food and the different ways food can be grown, prepared, and cooked to invoke a certain flavor profile. In an essence, I’ve grown to view food as something to be enjoyed and celebrated which is helpful as I embark on my never-ending journey with food.

Over the years, I have tried my fair share of eating practices ranging from Vegetarianism, Paleo, and the Standard American Diet. My diagnosis had me looking all over for a quick fix and an eating practice that would rid me of my constant boils. My constant boils might still be here, but now I choose to look at mealtime as an act of self-care. Here’s how:

I find a balance that works for me

No one body is the same. It’s a simple fact, but I think it’s also one that we forget often. When choosing what to eat and how often to eat, I find that is important to listen to my body to see what it best responds to. I’ve talked about tracking my flares before and this is an easy way to clearly track what things do and do not work for my body.

I take the time to assess what flavor profiles I find the most exciting and how I feel after eating my meals. With all things, I find it best to consider how I feel mentally during and after a meal to determine whether my current eating practices are working for me.

I make meal time something to look forward to

I absolutely love eating out at restaurants for how the ambiance of the dining setting adds to the meal experience. At the top of this year, I began thinking about ways to make my mealtime at home feel more elevated and special to me.

I made simple changes like always eating at a table, turning off the TV, and asking Alexa to play jazz during mealtime. While small, I sincerely feel that these changes have aided in my mealtime experience and in turn made eating dinner more enjoyable.

Switch it up

Like most things, keeping the same routine for too long can start to make food seem stale and unexciting. This is what I don’t want when it comes to mealtime and self-care. This is why I think it’s a great idea to try out new recipes and seasoning combinations often to keep your interest when it comes to food.

I have been enjoying using meal delivery services to allow me to try new recipes that I normally would not consider. It can also be helpful to have a recipe book and aim to add in a few new recipes on a regular basis.

Have you found foods or a diet that helps you manage your HS?