WHAT ARE YOU FILLED WITH?

Fill ‘er up!

I remember oil company commercials where a happy-go-lucky gas station attendant would leap to service at the sight of a customer. With a tip of his spotless white hat, he’d wait for the driver of the car to roll down her window, and he’d ask, “Fill ‘er up, Ma’am?”

I often think of that “fill ‘er up” concept when I consider the principles of wellness.

It would be so interesting if we could visually “see” what fills each of us up. There’s more than just the food we eat, you know. There are thoughts and emotions as well as what we take in through the environment. What fills us? Twinkies, pesticides and frustration? Fresh veggies and optimism?

The fill ‘er up choice is yours.

Tracking what we eat and what we think is one way to get a good idea of what we’re “made of.” Food diaries can be very enlightening. I’ve been surprised myself to find that things that I thought I consumed “once in a while” were far more of a staple than I thought. A food diary is a good thing. It’s not about looking for situations where you’ve been “bad.” It’s about finding opportunities for you to improve and help your body to heal.

Tracking what we think is a bit more tricky. It’s common to have mostly negative thoughts and be mostly unaware of them. That’s very poor grammar, but I’m sure you get the gist.

Rewards can follow from simply being more aware of your thoughts. When we’re aware of what we’re thinking, we’re more likely to steer our thoughts in a positive direction.

An interesting connection to note is that unhealthier diets tend to foster unhealthier thoughts. Eating a wide variety of fresh vegetables is cleansing for the mood as well as for the body.

In any case, consider what “fills you up” this week and be ready to make changes in the New Year. We’ll discuss making a happy and healthy goals list next week.

For now — sit back, relax, and take care!