Do a Nourish

Things people on cleanses say:

“So, I’m doing this cleanse—no gluten, no dairy, no wine—ugh!”

“I’m doing nothing but green juice for a week. I have to give my body a break from food.”

“It’s time for a cleanse. I have to get the toxins out of my body.”

“After this is over, I’m so having pizza. I’m starving.”

Cleanses are miserable—and don’t make any sense.

Cleanse thinking goes like this:

1. Most of the time, eat in ways that are bad for you.
2. Every once in a while, try to clean up the mess with a cleanse.

And this:

1. Most of the time, eat what you enjoy regardless of how nutritious it is.
2. Every once in a while, suffer for a few days by employing a bizarre eating pattern as a way of taking great care of yourself.

Cleanse thinking is based on the faulty premise that you have two options in life:

1. Enjoy yourself.
2. Take great care of yourself.

That is, you can enjoy yourself or you can take great care of yourself, but you can’t do both simultaneously.

Bulls***!

Nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s crucial to self-care that you find the intersection between that which is good for you and that which is enjoyable.

With food, it’s simple:

First, identify whole, natural, real foods you love.

1. What vegetables do you enjoy?
2. What meats do you enjoy?
3. What fruits do you enjoy?
4. What nuts and/or seeds do you enjoy?
5. What other whole, natural, real foods do you enjoy?

Then, make the most delicious meals and snacks you can with those foods.

That is, nourish yourself—and thoroughly enjoy food at the same time.

Forget cleanses—and do a nourish!

A nourish is simple—and absolutely awesome!

Start with the list of nutritious foods you enjoy: nutrilicious foods. They taste great when you eat them, and eating them leaves you feeling great hours, days, weeks, months, and years later.

Then, to take things up a notch, make a list of other “things” you enjoy that also leave you feeling great: moving your body in ways you enjoy, getting plenty of sleep and rest, engaging in fulfilling work and fulfilling relationships, spending time with nature, and more. Now you have a nourish list. It’s all the food and “things” you enjoy that keep you feeling you’re very best.

Then, eat those foods and do those “things”. Rinse and repeat.

Here’s what I’m going to do this week as part of my ongoing nourish:

1. I’m going to drink plenty of water.
2. I’m going to pick vegetables from a friend’s garden. (He’s away for a few weeks.)
3. I’m going to shop at my local farmers’ market.
4. I’m going to shop at my local fish market.
5. I’m going to make and savor meals made from fresh, local food.
6. I’m going to walk to and from work on the days I don’t work from home.
7. I’m going to lift weights on Monday and Thursday. (I absolutely love strength training.)
8. I’m going to sleep nine hours a night.
9. I’m going to get plenty of rest.
10. I’m going to thoroughly enjoy working with my clients and thoroughly enjoy writing about wellness.
11. I’m going to spend some time with my close ones each day including going to a comedy show with a friend on Friday. (Laughter is the best medicine.)

In contrast to a cleanse, a nourish isn’t about abstaining from things and demonstrating how much you can suffer.

A nourish is about diving head-first into a life filled with things that are simultaneously good for you and enjoyable.

When you focus on nourishing yourself this way, enjoyment, fun, and pleasure aren’t your enemies.

When you focus on nourishing yourself this way, enjoyment, fun, and pleasure are your constant companions as you proactively meet most of your needs most of the time.

How does that sound?

About Jason Gootman
Jason Gootman is a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach as well as a certified nutritionist and certified exercise physiologist. Jason helps people reverse and prevent type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other ailments with evidence-based approaches to nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, holistic wellness, and, most importantly, lasting behavior improvement and positive habit formation. As part of this work, Jason often helps people lose weight and keep it off, in part by helping them overcome the common challenges of yo-yo dieting and emotional eating. Jason helps people go from knowing what to do and having good intentions to consistently taking great care of themselves in ways that help them add years to their lives and life to their years.