The Radical Self-Care Free Online Course - Step 4: Nourish

Nourish.

Feed yourself healthy, good foods. You don't have to become a vegetarian, just stop eating McDonald's every night for dinner. (Once in a while is OK.) Feed your heart and soul with books, television, movies, and things that inspire you.

Let's get this straight right from the start: Diets are not nourishing. Diets may be healthier for your body but they aren't "nourishing." Diets are restrictive and all about saying "no" instead of saying "yes." But nourishment is not about restriction.

What Does it Mean to Nourish?

Dictionary.com provides three definitions for "nourish":

1. to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth.
2. to cherish, foster, keep alive, etc.: He had long nourished the dream of living abroad.
3. to strengthen, build up, or promote: to nourish discontent among the workers; to nourish the arts in one's community.

Nourish the Body

Thus, when we talk about nourishing our bodies with healthy, good foods, we are not promoting a sense of lack, restriction, or abolition. Consider that by choosing a healthy food, you are affirming yourself and your life. You are sustaining your body, cherishing your body, and strengthening your body.

A "do" is so much more empowering than a "don't."

Do eat foods that are packed full of nutrients. Do eat foods that taste good. Do eat just enough to keep yourself satiated.

Otherwise, don't stress yourself out over a strict diet, unless you are the type of personality that really responds well to such structure. If you force a diet upon yourself, you will only feel burdened and like you are in a place of "not having enough."

Consider that one possible cause of overeating may be the emotional feeling of "not having enough." This is why restrictive diets often don't work; they create the very feeling that causes the overeating in the first place!

I'm not personally an advocate of making hard and fast rules over food choices. Keep it simple. Just try to add more healthy foods and be moderate in your eating. If you want to have a chocolate bar once in a while, go for it. If you want to get a Big Mac once a week, fine.

Allow yourself some space and breathing room in your food choices. Nourish yourself – don't punish yourself.

Nourish the Heart and Soul

Our hearts need nourishment too. Of course, we often get that nourishment from friends, relatives and loved ones. Since this is a radical self-care course, however, let's look at how we can nourish our own hearts.

When we consider our mental diets, what is it that you are feeding your mind on a daily basis? Are all the television shows you watch about mean, greedy people who don't have an ounce of character in their bones?

An ad for a recent hit television show actually flashed the following kinds of words across the television screen: lust, revenge, obsession, hatred, etc. Consider even some of the titles of television shows: "Dirty Sexy Money" or "Californication." Hollywood seems obsessed with portraying images of wealthy, shallow people who have nothing better to do with their time than have cheap sex and then whine about the angst of their petty lives. Either that, or we're inundated with detective shows about murders and homicides.

Now - if you want to watch some of these shows as a guilty pleasure, that's one thing. But if your entire media diet is filled with shallow, hateful characters, it's probably not the best thing for you.

Consider balancing some of the guilty pleasures out with more heart-filled television shows that inspire, uplift, or educate. Or read a good book (and not just the guilty pleasure cheap "chick lit" books that likewise focus on shallow things like Prada shoes instead of spirit). Find some spiritual leaders that inspire you and ingest their teachings. Listen to some uplifting music. Feed your soul with things that make you truly feel good.

Once again, this is not an issue of completely banning yourself from watching your guilty pleasures, but to simply be mindful and add some positive stuff into the mix.

YOUR HOMEWORK – NOURISH YOURSELF

You have two simple assignments:

1. Identify some healthy foods that you really enjoy eating but don't usually eat, and make a point of having them regularly.

2. Identify some positive sources of entertainment and inspiration, and add those to your regular mental diet.

Please share your homework and observations in the forums.