I teach clients to do a “Plate Check” before they eat to make sure they have all the parts for an energizing & balanced meal:
✨ Carbs to fuel cells
✨ Protein to build muscle
✨ Colorful Produce + Fat to protect cells
As important as a “Plate Check” is before meals… equally (or maybe MORE important) is doing a “SPIRIT CHECK” before meals. Read on to learn all about it…
SPIRIT CHECK:
Reflecting on your thoughts, feelings, and attitude before eating to have a more positive meal experience & better relationship with food.
HOW TO DO A SPIRIT CHECK
Before you eat, go through this quick 4-point assessment…
1. DO I FEEL STRESSED OR CALM?
Goal: Calm.
Why: Being calm before meals means you are in the “rest & digest” nervous system (parasympathetic) instead of the stressful fight or flight nervous system (sympathetic). And research suggests this shift helps improve nutrient absorption, support balanced gut bacteria, and decrease inflammation. 💥
How to: Breathe. To get calm & into the “rest & digest” eating state, breathe for 3 counts in + 6 counts out for a few rounds until you feel less stressed. Getting more oxygen into your body works magic to help you shift your nervous system.
2. DO I FEEL DISTRACTED OR MINDFUL?
Goal: Mindful.
Why: Mindfulness boosts connection to hunger & fullness cues and shifts food cravings.
How to: Table-Plate-Chair. One of the quickest ways to get mindful is to practice what I call: Table-Plate-Chair. This means, aim to eat all meals and snacks while sitting at a table and eating from a plate, without doing anything else. No eating while standing in the fridge, over the sink, on the couch watching TV, working at the computer, or scrolling on your phone. PS: You don’t have to eat in silence, set the mood with some music like Spotify’s “Pop Goes Classical” station.
3. DO I FEEL SHAME OR OWNERSHIP?
Goal: Ownership.
Why: Shame happens when you think you are doing something wrong. This comes from the “diet culture” we live in where you feel like you have to sneak food or feel badly about yourself when you eat certain foods. Instead, when you silence the external voices and become the BOSS of your food decisions… it feels empowering & liberating.
How to: Don’t judge & slow down. Look at the meal/snack on your plate without judging foods as good or bad. Repeat this aloud or in your head: “I am an adult who can eat whatever I want, whenever I want. And this is what I want to eat.” Then eat your food slowly, chewing each bite without judgement, and move on without second guessing or thinking about it again.
4. DO I FEEL GUILT OR JOY?
Goal: Joy.
Why: Food is more than fuel, it is a gesture of self-love. Prioritizing joy in all parts of our day, especially those routine, ordinary habits like eating, is an important practice for holistic health & wellbeing.
How to: Embrace your inner health nut + wild child. We each have 2 parts inside of us that both want to feel joy. Our inner health nut wants nourishing meals + our inner wild child wants craveable meals. Before each meal, check in with BOTH parts of you to make sure they BOTH will ENJOY the meal. If not, make some tweaks to what you are about to eat. Read more HERE.
The intentionality/energy/vibration you bring to eating matters. TEST this 4-POINT SPIRIT CHECK BEFORE MEALS & see the magic unfold for yourself.✨
