Bevidst kost og ernæring:
Lær hvordan du giver næring til din krop, sind og sjæl

Skal vi vælge at leve for at spise eller spise for at leve?  Vi ved alle, at det er vigtigt at spise for at overleve, men mad er så meget mere end bare brændstof. Det er en fest med familie, venner, bånd og kultur. Der er ikke noget rigtigt eller forkert svar her, men én ting er sikkert: Et sundt forhold til mad er på mode. Paola Cóser, der er uddannet ernæringskonsulent med speciale i bevidst spiseadfærd og med en kandidatgrad i fedme og vægtkontrol, har valgt en multikulturel tilgang. Ved at trække på sin viden og omfavne forskellige kulturer har Paola udviklet en metode til at skabe en bevidst forbindelse med mad. Gør dig klar til et smagsfyldt eventyr, der vil nære både krop og sjæl.

Mad holder os i live. Det er let at overse dette faktum, når vi tankeløst går gennem processen med at beslutte, hvad vi skal spise. Sagen er dog den, at ethvert valg af mad betyder noget. Så i stedet for at køre på autopilot, så lad os tage et øjeblik til at værdsætte styrken ved at spise bevidst. Pablo Neruda, en af verdens mest elskede nobelprisvindere i litteratur, bragte mad til live. I sin poesi tog han en masse simple ingredienser og forvandlede dem til noget helt ekstraordinært. I sine Elementary Odes kaldte han tomater for "jordstjerne" og beskrev løg som " klare som en planet, bestemt til at skinne". Selv artiskokker blev beskrevet som "den pansrede grøntsag", hvilket understregede kraften i frisk mad som noget magisk, meningsfyldt og med en sociologisk tilgang. 

Ligesom Neruda understreger Paola Cóser den overnaturlige kraft, der er mellem mad og mennesker og bevidst ernæring. I sin konsultation i Madrid hjælper hun folk fra bl.a. Frankrig, Italien, Schweiz og Spanien. Takket være sin bachelorgrad i fysisk aktivitet og sportsvidenskab anerkender Cóser behovet for at øge bevidstheden og genskabe forbindelsen til mad. 

1.Hvad vi spiser, eller hvordan vi spiser, er ikke noget, der undervises i på skoler og universiteter. Selv for voksne er det nogle gange svært at få et sundt forhold til mad. 
Som en del af dette kan man overveje de alarmerende fedmeprocenter i lande som USA (hvor 36,3% af alle voksne er overvægtige1) eller sygdomme relateret til et anstrengt forhold til mad. Baseret på dette, hvad vil så være det første skridt mod at blive positivt bevidst om vores forhold til mad?

Der er tre trin i processen med bevidstgørelse, der fører til positiv forandring. Dette kaldes Model of Prochaska og DiClemente. Vi befinder os for det første i før-overvejelsesfasen, hvor der ikke er nogen intention om forandring. På dette tidspunkt er vi ikke bevidste om vores madvaner. Vi spiser, men tænker ikke over, hvilken indflydelse vores kost har på vores helbred. Derefter går vi ind i overvejelsesfasen, hvor vi faktisk indser, hvad der foregår, fordi vi føler os utilpasse og usunde. I denne fase er vi stadig ikke klar til at handle, så vi opfatter og overvejer kun situationen. I denne tilstand af ambivalens tænker vi måske: "Jeg ved, at jeg er nødt til at ændre noget," men der er endnu ingen handling. Vores sind er stadig i sin komfortzone, fordi det kompenserer, og det er nemt at blive ved med at gentage de samme mønstre. 

Man kan sige, at bevidsthed ikke er ensbetydende med forandring. Det tager ofte et stykke tid at nå frem til handlingsfasen og strategien. Det sker for alvor, når en nødvendighed udløses eller en stærk oplevelse fører til handling. For eksempel ser du pludselig din kostadfærd afspejlet i en anden og beslutter dig for at gøre noget ved det. Denne fase er faktisk fremragende, da det er det første skridt mod bevidst ernæring og succes. 

2. Hvert land har sin egen ernærings- og fødevarepolitik. For eksempel offentliggør NHS i Storbritannien sine egne fødevareguider og råd til en afbalanceret kost på sin officielle hjemmeside.² Det er en stor hjælp at have let adgang, men hvordan kan vi indføre bevidsthed og gode vaner til at skabe forandring? Hvordan kan vi opbygge vaner til at udvikle et godt forhold til mad? 

De fleste ved, at frugt og grønt er sundt og en del af en afbalanceret kost, men folk er nødt til at indarbejde dem i tilstrækkelige mængder i deres daglige kost. Det er vigtigt at indarbejde vanen ved at gentage den.  
Til det formål er det nødvendigt at ønske, at noget skal ske, og så konstant gentage vanen. Bevidsthed er i dette tilfælde endnu vigtigtere, og bevidst ernæring betyder at være klar over, hvilke fordele sund ernæring vil give mig, hvordan jeg har det, når jeg spiser sundere, og hvilke ting, der hindrer mig i at få det til at ske. 

There are many patterns that interrupt our intentions on a day-to-day basis. For me, it was the relationship that I had with food during my childhood, during stressful moments, or even because of the constant exposure to media ads and fast food, etc.
So, to generate new food habits it’s crucial to be aware of our current situation as a starting point, knowing what behavior we want to change and why, what benefits we will obtain, and what we’re willing to give up to gain other benefits.
It’s vital to establish real changes without being too restrictive with the food that we like very much. Also, observing what areas of our life can be affected, such as social life, family life, stress, and beliefs. It’s not just incorporating healthy food, but how you relate to it.

3. Enrique Rojas, professor of psychiatry and director of the Spanish Institute for Psychiatric Research, states in his book 5 Tips to boost intelligence3 that « determination means knowing how to wait and how to continue ». He also points out the importance of will, saying that « will is the jewel of the crown; a person with a will goes far beyond an intelligent person ». In this context, how do both will and perseverance help improve our relationship with food? And mainly, How can we begin to work on them more consciously?

From my experience, when it comes to food, willpower usually allows most people to start the change and it’s just brilliant. However, willpower can be a short-term factor with an expiration date. Although the strength of will often has to do with the desire to achieve goals, giving the strength and energy necessary to achieve them, I believe that awareness is basic in starting any change. When you feel the need to take that impulse and begin looking for strategies and help, then you can perceive that this strength can be actually developed. Step by step you start incorporating those desired changes.

Perseverance and discipline are super important, it is what forges a new diet; in this aspect, change is always possible with repetition, listening to your body, your sensations, paying attention to how you relate to food along with everything else that prevents you from achieving it.

4. Food is also a social and cultural phenomenon from a sociological approach. It is also a prime source for the individual, the family, and the society. Based on this, how are food choices influenced by the family or the social environment?

This is quite interesting. Food connects us with everything. It is the basis of our survival and has been with us since the beginning of our lives. We can smell something that transports us to our childhood or our country in a positive or negative way, which actually conditions us in our food choices.

Every family has its own food habits and a particular way in which food is contextualized. By this I mean, food can be an act of love and protection, but it can also be considered as something negative, maybe when conflicts arise while eating, prohibitions are put in place, or there are family problems. So, emotions and food are closely related.
Something similar occurs in the social and cultural sphere because each country has its own gastronomy and great rituals with food. Also, this constant exposure to certain foods reinforces our relationship to the place where we live. Becoming aware of these family and social habits is fundamental and extremely positive. For instance, it is vital to realize what benefits us so we can make a more conscious choice between what our body needs and what we can leave behind. Besides, realizing what emotions, behaviors, and beliefs are conditioning our habits can help us to eliminate some food patterns and strengthen others.

5. Spanish people will have the longest life expectancy by 2040, according to a study by Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle,4 surpassing Japan. Among the reasons is the way people eat. The Predimed study5 from the Spanish Ministry of Health showed that the Mediterranean diet constitutes a healthy eating pattern for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,6 is the world's largest clinical trial studying the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Based on this, what ingredients of the Mediterranean diet are essential for our health?
 
In the Mediterranean diet, fruits and vegetables are prioritized, as well as the importance of consuming good quality fat such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Nuts and fish, legumes, whole grains, dairy products, along with eggs, white meat (preferably less red meat) are also great food sources.

The consumption of fruits and vegetables makes this diet healthy not only because of the contribution of fibers, vitamins and minerals, but also because fruits and vegetables have a large number of bioactive substances. These components influence cell activity and physiological mechanisms with beneficial effects on health. Among them, we can find beta carotenes (carrots, pumpkin), lycopene (tomato) anthocyanins (grapes, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) chlorophyll (green leaves), lutein and zeaxanthin (spinach, corn, avocado, melon). Glycosylates (broccoli, cabbage), with their antioxidant action, not only prevent diseases but also help longevity.

Also including good quality fats such as EVOO, oily fish, and nuts that provide polyunsaturated fats (omega 6 and omega 3) is fantastic. A balance of this type of fat prevents inflammatory processes in our bodies and helps prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression when accompanied by a healthy lifestyle.

6. Mindful eating focuses on eating experiences, sensations in our body, and, of course, a physical and mental approach to eating. Along those lines, can you give some tips to harmoniously nourish our body, mind and spirit?

When I talk about health I include mind, body and emotions. By this I mean, I can’t work on one area and leave the others aside.
Food is closely linked to beliefs (mind), emotions, and bodily needs, so when I work with my patients, I nourish those three areas together in order for them to achieve their goals.
To nourish the body, I suggest introducing more fruits and vegetables (bioactive components) into your diet. In addition to caring for your body, I recommend starting with gentle movements at first, such as yoga or walking, so that you can condition your body with movement.
To be attentive to our thoughts and emotions, I highly recommend keeping up with your reflections. Also, meditation is important. However, when there’s a lot of mental noise it’s better to start with a moving meditation. This means to be present while doing an activity, such as walking. For instance, I’m focused on my body, feeling the movements of the muscles and being present in my breathing.

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