Make food our ally again. Together we can remember how to eat to support our bodies and make it fun again.
Remind yourself that your body is a master healer. Say it to yourself when you feel worried or not at your best. Think about all the times your body healed on its own. Look at yourself in the mirror and empower your body with these words by saying them out loud.
These are a few suggestions. How will you bring this affirmation to life?
Gina
In Food As Ally, we focus on creating a whole, healed relationship between our food and our bodies with step-by-step guidance to make lasting changes. These weekly group support meetings are led by Gina Briganti, Certified Nutrition Consultant, and developer of the program. Each meeting is limited to three people and that week’s focus is specifically tailored to them.
Food As Ally meetings are in-person, in Dallas, Texas, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. CST at Lotus Salon Suites on Wednesdays. Zoom meetings are available for those who prefer them or who live out of the area.
The difference with Reiki Food As Ally weekly group support meetings is that Gina Briganti will lead the meeting and will send Reiki to each of the three clients to help with mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual layers. In addition to being a Certified Nutrition Consultant, Gina is also a Reiki Master Teacher/Practitioner. For more information on Reiki, click this link to read Gina’s article, “What is Reiki?” Focus is always on what you need each week to progress.
Reiki Food As Ally Zoom meetings are Friday evenings, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. CST. More meeting times can be added if this isn’t convenient for you, including in-person meetings at Lotus Salon Suites in Dallas, Texas.
Pre-registration is required for all meetings.
Which one is right for you, Food As Ally or Reiki Food As Ally? All new clients are encouraged to schedule a free 20-minute Q&A with Gina to explore this question and to find out what they need to know before starting the program.
Mix and match is also an option. Try them both and see which one is best for you.
Are you ready for your next step?
Gina
When your body is full of energy, you might be inspired to move it (a.k.a. exercise). Going for walks, swimming on summer nights, meeting friends for a yoga class, playing the drum with your neighborhood drum circle, or _______________________ (insert your favorite workout here) will sound and be rejuvenating if you’re energized.
Here’s a suggestion for when you want to move your body more, but time and energy aren’t lining up. I saw this video where Rosanna Pansino reviewed the Desk Cycle , giving it two thumbs up. This gadget, sitting under your desk, would be a convenient way to move your legs. The Desk Cycle part is found 3:07 into the video. Please note that this post is not sponsored.
Or you might not have any interest in exercising. And that’s okay, as long as you aren’t under medical direction to.
As beneficial as exercise is for improving circulation, keeping muscles active, increasing endurance, etc., forcing yourself to do it for any reason may not benefit your body or your emotions. Yes, exercise is a favorite to burn calories for what you ate or what you want to eat, or because you think you should, but there are healthier reasons. Especially if you’re forcing yourself. Who likes to be forced?
Another way of listening to our bodies is by resting when we need a break.
You’ll find alignment when you allow yourself to do what’s best for you, which can be as simple as trying what feels good and seeing how it goes. Maybe horseback riding is intriguing, but you haven’t tried it in a long time. If it interests you, do it. You may find that riding once a month energizes you in ways that a stationary bike never will.
I love to dance and go for walks. Usually every day, but there are days when I take a nap instead. That works for me, for now. The feeling that I am bursting with energy, music playing in my head, can lead to a ten-minute dance party. I get my cardio and sweat on. Or there’s a more mellow feeling when the outdoors is calling me to enjoy fresh air and say hi to neighbors. Either way, at the end, I am energized and happy. In the past I did more neck and shoulder yoga because I was in pain. Yoga videos, a couple of classes, and advice from my medical massage therapist combined into a custom yoga practice. I’m now pain free.
Tell me below how your body lets you know it wants to move. I’d love to hear about it.
Gina
P.S. Food As Ally group support meetings happen every Friday evening on Zoom. Click here for details.
In the past, if I saw tasty new food at Trader Joe’s, I had to buy it on that shopping trip. Now, I can pass on them until timing lines up. Like the gluten-free double chocolate muffins. After watching a taste test showing how tender and decadent they are, I’ve been to the store and seen them on the shelf three times. Fact is, finishing a four-pack of giant muffins takes too long, so I’ll wait until I have company or an event to bring them to. It wasn’t a struggle. I didn’t feel deprived. Did I buy my favorite crispy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies? Totally.
Recently I started working part-time outside my business, which means I needed to adjust when, how much, and what, I eat. This means revisiting step five to learn my new hunger cues. My body doesn’t like to eat early in the morning, but if I don’t, I can’t eat until mid-afternoon. I’ve been asking my body what it wants and what it will handle. Step six, learning fullness cues, has also been revisited because I have a few minutes to snack mid-morning. If I don’t eat then, my stomach lets everyone nearby know. Finding the right snack and eating enough to fuel me until I have a relaxed lunch was another adjustment that was smoother because I’ve been practicing listening to my body since November.
The new job means a different activity level. As I’ve settled in there, my body showed how much to eat to match that, which is less than before. Now my weight is adjusting. What I’m still figuring out is which foods will sustain my energy in the amounts I can eat early in the day. Mainly foods with a satisfying amount of protein, fat, and carbs in small amounts, like an egg and a piece of toast. Maybe a protein bar on my break. Lighter foods like fruit are eaten when I’m home and can go back for another serving in an hour or so.
It’s coming together, as delicious and fulfilling as I could hope for. Not having emotional cravings is so freeing. I still love food, but it’s no longer an obsession.
How are you doing with your Food As Ally journey?
Gina
Graphic credit: Gina Briganti
What I did that led me to create Food As Ally was…
I turned clean eating into a cross between dieting and food snobbery.
What I learned is…
My body tells me when it wants salad and that I can trust my taste hunger or emotional hunger when it is asking for cookies because I know that my body will tell me when enough is enough.
You can, too.
Wishing you a smooth day,
Gina
Sincerely,
Gina
This is the first foodasally.com post, representing a rounded approach to eating and teaching about eating. Food As Ally is about reclaiming our food choices, listening to our hunger and satiety signals, and being supported as we do.
I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and how much of it I wanted. In doing this today, I discovered that my breakfast smoothie is too filling for me today and that I can wait until I want fruit to eat it. Even if that’s not today. Or tomorrow. If I look at this breakfast from the certified nutrition consultant perspective, there’s nothing wrong with it. I gave myself permission to eat what I wanted and what I wanted tasted good and I’m almost ready to eat again. It kept me full longer than I thought it would.
More discoveries await!
Gina
There are several ways you can support The Reiki Café. You can buy a book, review a book, have a Reiki session, take a workshop, study Reiki, tell your family and friends about me, share my posts, and/or donate to the virtual tip jar. All support is appreciated. Thank you!
How’s your energy level? If it’s low, or you’re curious about how to get to your next level, read 6 Fast Vitality Boosters. Click here to get them free with newsletter signup.
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