There are no shortcuts...

Over the last several weeks I've spent a lot of time reflecting over how quickly we tend to discard things if they are not "quick" or "convenient."   For example, I'm a big advocate of eating a healthy breakfast and creating routine around mealtimes.  And I've found myself stumped when asked: "I don't have time to eat breakfast.  Any suggestions of a good brand of bar I can pick up?"  

The question seems simple enough, but there is always something that leaves me uneasy about the exchange as I struggle to remember brand names and tentatively suggest making a frittata instead that will keep for 3-4 days.  I've realized it is because the answer isn't recommending a health bar or oatmeal brand, but because the true answer is much more nuanced and potentially uncomfortable:  I think you should make time to eat breakfast (and lunch and dinner).   

That is not to say that there isn't a place for ease and reasonable convenience (there is!), but when we talk about getting to the root of an issue, it most often calls for us to be accountable and responsible for the choices we are making in our lives.  So, if our goal is for our abdominal symptoms to feel better, or to have sustained energy during the day, or to reduce our anxiety  or to experience more balance in our lives, the solution is not quite about a health bar, but more about how do I create and prioritize time for nourishment and self care.  

Because the health bar is never going to be as good as taking fifteen minutes to sit and eat a colorful plate of whole foods and creating a calming morning ritual as opposed to a running-out-the-door-and-eat-a-packaged bar-in-the-car/bus type of morning.  And while, yes, this solution takes slightly more work and creative thinking, it is also an empowering investment in your health and ultimately, with time and patience, just might start to create the life you want-the one without intestinal woes, full of energy, and a sense of agency and balance.