Be A Friend To Yourself
Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else. - Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights activist
Are you a friend to yourself? Make a list of why you are grateful for your body. Thanking your body is vital to your health and ability to achieve your wishes or goals. You must first learn to love, respect and honor yourself before you are able to truly take care of your body and mind by making time to prepare and enjoy nutritious foods, being physically active, getting adequate sleep and relaxing.
Friendship is about balance — both giving and receiving. Give to yourself first by taking care of yourself in order to give and take care of others. Do not feel that you are selfless when you schedule time to exercise, practice yoga or tai chi, make plans to hang out with friends, or simply make time for yourself to sleep in one day a week, take a bath, or read a good book. By balancing soul-nurturing activities with your everyday activities you create a friendship with yourself. This will enable you to feel less stressed, be better able to handle challenging or stressful situations, give you more energy, and allow you to give your time and undivided attention to others.
A friendship requires time, commitment and caring. Remember this as you begin or continue to develop a friendship with yourself. Schedule time each week to work on your friendship with yourself and you will find that it helps to strengthen your friendships with others. Being a friend to yourself also improves your self-esteem and self-confidence both of which are vital to realizing your goals in life. Practice being a friend to yourself by finding ways to nourish your body and mind.
Nutrition Tip: Honor your body by aiming to enjoy at least one fresh fruit each day. To help you do this, plan ahead by buying fruit that will last at least a week in the refrigerator such as apples, citrus fruit and grapes. Another great way to ensure that you always have fruit available is to purchase frozen berries with no syrup to keep in your freezer. Add frozen or thawed berries to yogurt, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, oat bran, cereal, cottage cheese, or enjoy plain. The possibilities are endless! Bring easily portable fruit to work, school or while doing errands for a great low-calorie, high fiber and tasty snack. Try a banana, orange, apple, plum, or pear.
