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Day 18: The Power of Slowing Down

 

Welcome back my blog where I am sharing my more insights into my quest for holistic nutrition!

Embracing the Slow Lane

Today's lesson delved deeper into the philosophy of taking things slow, extending beyond the realm of mindful eating to encompass our overall pace of life. The message was clear: rapid results are fleeting, and true, lasting achievements require time, patience, and perseverance. This concept was vividly illustrated through a TED Talk and an engaging YouTube montage of movie entrances, both serving as metaphors for the beauty and effectiveness of a measured approach to life's endeavors.

I would highly recommend taking a few minutes to watch the talk below, In Praise of Slowness. Carl does such a great job of capturing how it has been lost. 

Carl Honoré TED Talk - In Praise of Slowness 

Active Recovery and Mindful Mornings

My workout today was centered around active recovery. Accompanied by my son and our faithful dog, we returned to the lake for a leisurely walk, a perfect embodiment of today's theme. The tranquility of the morning was preserved by opting for a simple breakfast sandwich over the usual drive-thru fare of a whole meal with a mocha and hashbrown (or two). This small yet significant choice is a step towards my goal of making healthier decisions in everyday situations. I have been surprised when I make these choices and am not hungry any sooner than if I had the whole meal as in the past. It makes me wonder how I have gotten so far away from knowing how hungry I am and how easily I can eat a lot more food without blinking.

Ready to revolutionize your recovery process? Click for insights.

A New Breakfast Routine

Eating breakfast slowly has become a just a little bit easier for me, especially after absorbing the insights from our group discussions. Today, I made a conscious decision not to eat in the car, bringing my meal home instead, brewed some tea and made sure that I could sit down and focus on eating slowly. While this isn't always feasible, due to my schedule not always allowing to be home to eat or even sit down to eat, it's a practice I intend to adopt whenever possible. The strategy of taking a bite, reading a page of my book (a tip from one of the people in our live session), and then taking a sip of my drink helped pace my meal, allowing me to savor each moment and bite.

Experimenting with Dinner Techniques

Dinner presented another opportunity to apply the lessons learned, this time by eating with my non-dominant hand. Coupled with the now-familiar practice of setting down my fork and sipping water between bites, this new technique added an extra layer of mindfulness to my meal, reinforcing the day's theme of slowing down and added a few more minutes to how long it took to be finished.

Reflecting on the Journey

Today's lesson struck a chord, challenging the common desire for instant gratification. In the past, the absence of immediate results often left me feeling defeated. However, this year-long journey is teaching me the value of gradual progress. Despite the skepticism of others who may not yet see the changes, I am embracing more physical activity, managing my caffeine intake, and most importantly, learning to eat slowly. These subtle shifts are the building blocks of a sustainable transformation, one that will endure well beyond the program's conclusion.

The Unseen Changes

It's intriguing to note that while my efforts to eat slower are a central focus for me these days, they often go unnoticed by others around me when we are sharing meals. That's okay, this journey is a personal one, and the most significant changes are those that happen quietly, reshaping our habits and mindset from the inside out.

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Location: Canada

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