Fueling Your Body is a Spiritual Practice: How Food Impacts Your Health and Well-Being
We’ve all heard the phrase "you are what you eat", but what if I told you that your food choices are not just about physical nourishment—they’re spiritual too? The way we fuel our bodies directly affects our energy, mindset, and overall well-being. Just as you track your spending and revenue to stay financially successful, tracking your food intake is essential for achieving optimal health.
My journey began with learning about nutrition while being a caregiver for my mom between the years of 2007 and 2009, when she passed away. My "job" was to learn as much as possible to replace food with some of the medications that had unreasonable side effects. Over time and after she passed away, I realized I had let myself go. I was pregnant the year she passed and with all the driving back and forth (4 hour round trip most days), my health began to deteriorate. I did my best since I was pregnant to ensure I was nourishing my body, but after I gave birth the end of that year, I then had to juggle a new baby with being active duty military, going to school, and making sure everyone was taken care of. It definitely took a toll on me.
In 2010, after doing some research, I came across some articles that spoke of keeping a food diary. Back then, there were not as many apps as there are today. I remember just writing everything down and then looking it all up later on in the day when I could. I made it important and even with everything else going on, I was able to carve out about 30 minutes per day to look up foods and get the intake numbers. Was it a bit time consuming at first? Indeed it was.
However, moving forward, I became more interested in nutrition and the body. I decided to dive deeper into it. The company I received my personal trainer certification through was offering a nutrition specialist certification. I figured I would learn more. I was pleased when they were teaching the power of food tracking and how it was used to build better habits over time. That is exactly what I had been doing!
I received more nutrition certifications over the years, more recently the Sports Nutrition Coach certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). I also received my Certified Bodybuilding Coach certification through NASM. In all of these certification courses, they all talk about the importance of food tracking and fueling the body. Not one certification ever recommends taking an entire macronutrient out of our bodies. None of them talk about diets or shots or pills. It's simple math - track your foods.
All of this came full circle with me when it came to tracking my finances. I know first-hand what happens when we don't. While I have had much more practice in the health and wellness arena, especially with post-operation recovery and athlete nutrition and strength training, I was not great at managing my finances. I was very similar to how some people are with food intake. If we don't see it, we don't need to care. If we don't track it, it doesn't exist. This also bleeds over into our workouts. If we don't track it, we are not being intentional. In business, if we don't track our performance, revenue, and expenses, we can tend to send ourselves out of business.
These are vital things we must track. Why don't we place as much, if not more emphasis, on what we ingest? Is our health not as important as our finances? To me, my health has been priority. Since my mom passed away before she was able to meet her first granddaughter, I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure I was around for my daughter as long as possible. While most things are not in our control, my health is for the most part. While I am not able to control any underlying conditions or genetics, I am able to control what I ingest.
It took me years to learn what I know now - a ton of education and time and effort. Now I am surrounding myself with people who are teaching me and holding me accountable in the financial area of life. I am holding myself accountable. All we have to do is take one thing we are good at and allow that to be the same in other areas. We will never be great at something when we first begin. Do we just quit because it's hard at first? Or do we keep going until it becomes easier?
My hope is that, after reading this, you will decide to place health at the top of your priority list and you will begin the journey to freeing yourself from fad diets, shots, and unhealthy solutions society is using to target people who "don't have time" to track their foods. I hope that after reading this, you will make time. In this day and age, with all the apps, including the 1st Phorm app, there is no excuse! We even have bar code scanners now!
Place your health at the top of your priority list before it's too late.
Your overall health and well-being matters!
Why Tracking Your Nutrition Matters
Tracking what we eat isn’t just about counting calories—it’s about understanding how the nutrients we consume impact our bodies, minds, and spirits. Without tracking, we can easily lose sight of what we’re consuming, just like unmanaged finances can quickly spiral out of control. When we stop paying attention, poor choices can pile up, leaving us feeling drained, sluggish, and unmotivated.
The same goes with water intake. We should be drinking at least half our bodyweight in ounces of water each day. Therefore, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should be ingesting at least 90 ounces of water everyday.
Begin where you are, track everything, and do a little better each day. No one is telling you that you will be great at this overnight. However, what I am telling you is that, with practice, you will be much better over time. It now takes me less than 5 minutes to track my foods and water intake. I can't say the same for my finances, but I still make sure to put effort into it because I know what happens when I don't. I hope you take the same mentality with your food tracking practice.
Just like rebuilding financial stability takes time, restoring your health requires consistent effort. The sooner you start tracking, the easier it is to maintain balance and stay on course. The last thing we want to do is wait until it's too late. I have done that with my finances and that is what woke me up. However, you don't have to wait. You can and should begin TODAY!
3 Tips to Achieve Health and Wealth Without Overwhelm
Track Your Intake with Intention
Tracking your food intake is no different from tracking your spending. Whether you use a journal or an app (like the 1st Phorm app, which I highly recommend), writing down what you eat will reveal patterns you may not have noticed before. This awareness helps you make informed choices and stay accountable.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
Just as you'd evaluate the quality of your investments, consider the quality of your food. Prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods that fuel your body with energy, focus, and vitality. Think of your meals as "investments" in your physical and spiritual well-being.
Establish Consistency with Simple Habits
Don’t overcomplicate things. Start by creating simple habits like drinking more water, eating balanced meals, and practicing mindful eating. Small, consistent changes compound over time, just like saving a small amount of money each month can lead to long-term financial growth.
Ready to Take Control?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to start, I’m here to help! Book a strategy call with me for personalized guidance on improving your health, wealth, and mindset. Click here to book your call now.
Also, join my 1st Phorm team by downloading the app at this link. It’s the tool I use to help my clients stay on track with their nutrition, exercise, and accountability.
Today, I’m empowering you to be the best version of yourself—one step at a time. If you need guidance, support, or accountability, I encourage you to explore my Services Page and see what’s right for you. Together, we can achieve more!
Remember, the first step of my S.T.E.P. acronym is "Seek help." There’s no shame in reaching out for guidance; in fact, investing in yourself is one of the most powerful decisions you can make. No one can ever take that away from you.
Let’s do this—one step at a time!
