Self-Love By Melonie DePalma, Health Coach
TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | FEB 2019 37
Here we are into February’s article and my thoughts were that heart
health would be ideal. Then I thought about the importance of loving self
to make the best choices for our heart and health. With the flow and the
intuition happening, writing on loving self would be ideal. Truly there is
a direct connection to self-love and heart health. The direct connection
is when we’re loving self, we are making better choices for our physical
body.
When I am coaching clients, there are two important things that I
teach them - that there is Primary Food and then there is Secondary
Food. Nutrition is a secondary source of energy. Primary Foods, or nonfood
sources of nourishment, are what really fuels us.
Lovers thrive on the pure bliss and peace they’re experiencing in
their love, while passionate entrepreneurs are fueled by their work. The
excitement in the rapture of daily life can feed us more completely than
any food can. The main areas of primary food are career, relationships,
physical activity and spirituality.
To me, the Secondary Food part is mindful eating, which comes so
easy when our Primary Food is aligned. Our true source of nourishment
starts with Primary Food.
Unfortunately the concept of self-love sometimes can get a bad
rap, it may be perceived as new age or narcissistic. But for the sake of
happiness let’s forget about semantics and open up to the idea of selflove.
It’s the key ingredient for internal power essential for your mindset.
As you start reestablishing a loving relationship with yourself, you
begin to realize how self-love is no different than the love that you show
others. I know that we live in a place (our small-town Tybee) where we
have shown great love for others, always reaching out to give a hand to
those in need in this tight knit community.
I have tirelessly worked on my nourishment of primary food needs. I
have learned when I take time for morning walks, sunrises, meditation,
yoga, a bike ride, read some spiritual books or blogs, I find myself making
daily better choices for eating.
I also learned from my own personal journey, that as soon as I
spent time fitting in more self-love, that life began to change. I now find
myself happier, more easy-going, and much more patient with my 8-year
old, Serenity, when she has a sugar crash (yes, she has major sugar
sensitivities). I have been firm on my daily habits of my Green Juice
and lemon water first thing, while grinding my organic coffee beans and
getting the blender ready for coffee with ghee butter and coconut to start
my day with energy and nutrition. With the love of these habits, I have
brought my weight down 18lbs (!!!) and am back in my small clothes.
Steps to loving yourself will help the growth of physical habits, like
being conscious of what we are eating and ingesting. That includes
spiritually what we are ingesting and allowing in our life.
Taking small steps to love ourselves will, in turn, help us be conscious
of eating a healthy diet. Adding walking or exercise at the gym to our
daily life will ensure that our heart is strong. Our heart pumps all the
blood to deliver nutrition to our bloodstream, which keeps our heart
healthy, our blood pressure steady, and our cholesterol levels in range.
The heart can also be affected by anxiety, which is manageable with
walking and meditation.
Feel free to reach out anytime to your local Health and Life Coach. I
am also certified in Herbs. I hope that you will take time to practice selflove
each day, and before you know it you will be living a daily habit that
will become second nature and change your life.
Now go out and celebrate self-love, allow yourself to radiate that
loving spirit and be proud of who you are and how your growing each
day into a better version of yourself. Sending love and light always, your
Health and Love Coach Melonie.