Developing an Attitude of Wellness

By Kate Crosby, BS, CNP
February 3, 2015

Have you started to develop an attitude of wellness? Because of changes in your eating, are you starting to feel more energetic? Having fewer aches and pains? Are you happier? Less irritable?  Maybe you have lost some weight or have fewer sugar cravings. Or are you on the other end of the spectrum? Do you find yourself feeling stuck with low moods, lack of energy and being overweight?

In the past, I suffered from depression, something I thought I was born with. I was convinced that I would need to be medicated or live with this “glass half empty” point of view. Fortunately, I had an interest in food and natural solutions to problems, but it wasn’t until I changed my diet that I made the connection between my moods and my food choices.

My attitude of wellness

In the 1980’s I was a bread-a-holic: I ground wheat, made my own bread and ate loads of it. I never knew it was affecting my emotional outlook. When I started eating more chicken, eggs and fish, my moods lifted. That was my turning point. That was when I learned that food could improve my health. It was then that I started developing an attitude of wellness because I realized that I actually could feel better and didn’t have to suffer from depression.

Developing an attitude of wellness requires knowledge and effort. I had to make changes, but I did not know what to change. And that is where Nutritional Weight & Wellness came into play. My nutritionist, Dar, gently—but firmly—suggested I eat less bread (she provided the knowledge). For me, that was a mighty task because at that time, every meal I ate was based on whole grain bread. I needed to make this change to reduce my depression. So I ate more chicken soup, scrambled eggs with spinach and chili. It lifted, that depression lifted! I knew then that I needed more knowledge so I could improve other aspects of my health. I got nutritional advice and had consultations to get the information I needed.

Developing your attitude of wellness

Once you get your personalized nutritional information, your eating plan may require changes in behavior to develop new habits, and this is where the effort comes into play. For example:

• You may need to eat a bedtime snack to help you sleep through the night.
• You may need to learn new skills, such as learning how to cook scrambled eggs or make a pot of chili so you’re not relying on processed, frozen dinners or the drive through.
• You may need to learn where to buy gluten free, roasted chickens or how to make balanced lunch choices so you feel your best when traveling.

Very often, an attitude of wellness starts with a kick in the pants; a big push. For me, that was removing bread from my diet. It can seem tough at first, but it becomes easier as you continue to make changes that support your health and you start to feel better. I didn’t know I needed to eat less bread; I thought the bread I ate was nutritious. After all, it was whole grain and low in fat (at the time, low fat was THE way to eat). I needed to hear the “say no to bread” message from someone other than a friend or from myself. Once I started eating less bread, I started feeling better. My mood started to improve and my cravings for carbohydrates—especially bread—diminished. I went from eating less bread to eating no bread to eating grain free.

Sometimes an attitude of wellness feels like HOPE. My attitude of wellness started when I realized there were other solutions to depression. But for you, having an attitude of wellness may start with taking a different approach to your back pain, diabetes or migraines. Whatever your health challenges are, maybe it is time to ask yourself, “Is there a better way that I can support my own health and well-being?” I believe there is, and it starts with nutrition. It helped me to work with a nutritionist (Dar in my case) who conveyed this hope—this feeling that I could feel better. I became happy. My immune system worked better and I did not develop sinus infections any longer.

I see clients getting similar benefits every day. Once they change their eating habits, they can play tennis without backaches or knee pain. Many learn what it takes to sleep deeply through the night. Others see their skin clear up and glow. Autoimmune diseases improve. Others lose weight. This is what eating real food can do for you when you eat what works for your body.

I encourage each of you to develop an attitude of wellness today. It takes the right knowledge and effort to start. It continues with practice and support. We can help you find your nutritional solution and help you develop an attitude of wellness that will become a way of life for a healthy you.

What steps have you taken to develop an attitude of wellness? Please share in the comments section below.

For more information on this topic, listen to our January 3, 2015 podcast: Developing an Attitude of Wellness.