Connie and I listen to lots of experts in the field of health. And many of them have different opinions about what's best. So, how do we know who to listen to for the best guidance?
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For us, the experts are a great resource for information. Information about the nutritional value of different foods and diets. Information on the latest research showing what foods and lifestyle impact our health. It's amazing what science and research is learning these days that can help us make healthy decisions.
But there is every different point of view out there on the web, each having something that backs up the differing beliefs. So, where do we turn to decide what's best for us? Who is the ultimate authority when it comes to our health?
What we've said many times before is, YOU are your best authority. Our bodies are constantly monitoring millions of different aspects of our health, from blood pressure, to blood sugar levels to all of our immune responses. The information our bodies have about our bodies is unequaled. This intelligence is immense, and, although we can't submit a question to it like we can with ChatGPT, there is a way to tap into this knowledge.
We call it listening to your body. But how do we do that? There are a couple of important things to know about how our bodies' intelligence speaks to us. We all have lots of thoughts and feelings about what's best to do and what's best to eat that can be well engrained in our minds and behaviours. So, when we're listening to our bodies intelligence for what it can offer, if it's contrary to our familiar patterns, thoughts and feelings can come up pretty strongly in defense of what we've been doing.
The main thing to know is that our intelligence, or wisdom, is a voice of reason. We all have that within us. And this voice is always soft and gentle with no urgency. So, when we have strong and sometimes critical thoughts and feelings about what to eat or not eat, and there's a debate going on in our heads about it, that is most likely not our wisdom.
When we debate what to eat, that's us referencing and analyzing information we've learned from others. Having this information is valuable, but we'll never know what is best for us in the moment from information alone. Our wisdom will access the information we have in reference to it knows would be best in that moment. We'll often feel a nudge or simple "knowing" of what and how much to eat. Have you ever had that experience?
It's the most beautiful thing, to eat from that place of knowing. There are no cravings from there. There are no debates. There's just the ease and joy of eating healthy, nutritious food.
So, finding the right authority isn't a matter of figuring out what experts to listen to. It's how we listen to the experts. Are we listening from a place of them knowing more than us, so we take in the information as some great truth? Or are we listening from a place that knows we have our own inner wisdom that guides us to know what we need? And then the experts are simply opening up new possibilities for us to consider.
Inner peace and freedom in our relationship with food is only found by accessing this wisdom. Otherwise we are always second guessing what's best. You are your best authority when it comes to your health. And that's not to say that it isn't helpful to listen and learn from the experts. They're just not your best authority.
The recipe this week is a Vegan Paella. Known for its base of saffron rice, we combine artichoke hearts with olives, tomatoes and peas to create a wonderful texture of rich flavour and taste.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Vegan Paella (Serves 4) *Adapted from Minimalist Baker
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 large yellow onion
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons filtered water
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon No Salt seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups seitan
- 1 cup No Chicken vegan broth
- 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
- 10 green olives, cut in half
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup frozen peas
In a small bowl combine the saffron with lemon juice to bloom the saffron. Set aside.
In a large pan, add onion, garlic, red pepper and 3 tablespoons filtered water. Sauté until softened (approximately 5 Minutes).
Add the rice, paprika, No Salt seasoning and stir. Lightly toast the grains cooking 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth and the saffron and lemon juice, and stir well.
Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes or until grains are tender and liquid fully absorbed.
While the rice cooks, add seitan, cut in medium cubes, to a fry pan with No Chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes so seitan absorbs chicken flavor. Drain the broth off seitan and set aside.
Test rice to be sure it is cooked. If it needs more time add ½ cup filtered water and cover again for a few minutes. When rice is tender, turn heat off.
Add the artichokes, olives, tomatoes, peas and seitan cubes. Mix well and cover to warm for 2 minutes.
Adjust seasoning if needed.
Enjoy.