Eating is such a big part of our lives.
But knowing what to eat, when to eat and how to eat is a really big *confusing* part too!! It doesn’t help that there are countless health gurus, wellness bloggers, magazines and new diet trends emerging all the time - often all saying something completely different. It’s important to remember the wellness / food industry is ridiculously big, and is geared for sales - just like any other industry. I believe everyone needs to know what’s best for them. And personally, I think it’s all about being gentle. Our body is an incredible soft machine and often it’s our mind that gets in the way and over complicates things for it - either by undergoing health or overdoing it. You might have heard the saying “eat breakfast like king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”. I love this. When we observe how nature flows and how the human body moves this makes sense to me. Eating a big hearty meal for breakfast (after a long fast during the night) to help sustain us for the day ahead - when the sun is up and the day is in yang time - movement, drive, life. This image shows the 'horary clock'. This is a staple concept in Chinese Medicine and not only shows the strong connection between the elements and the relationships within the elements but also highlights when each organ has its 2 hours or power.
As the day progresses and moves into yin time it becomes darker, quieter, slower. During the darkest hours while we are sleeping our body is restoring. Eating a large heavy dinner (and eating late) can affect our sleep and compromise how well we digest our food. Our body loves routine opposed to random chopping and changing and intense restrictions. Eating like the saying suggests means we still get ample time to fast while improving our sleep, digestion, energy levels, weight management and helping to calm our mind. I like to balance things out throughout my day too - if I’ve had a lot of richer foods or indulged in extra sweet treats I’ll have a lighter dinner with no carbs for instance and I try not to double up on too many ingredients in my meals to get a better variety. Regardless which way you decide to eat I suggest eating whole foods (foods in their natural form and minimally processed), lots of plants by eating the rainbow, high quality nutrient dense food and eating it warm.
with love,
Miriam x