In Benedictine CARE, the focus is on what we can add to our plates for health vs focusing on restriction. The summer and potluck season provides a wonderful time to practice this gentle approach.
Focus on nourishing foods to ADD and enjoy alongside traditional favorites like:
- In-season fruits like watermelon, cherries, or berries
- High-fiber flax crackers, bean dips and hummus, or popcorn
- Fresh vegetables as sides
Here’s the remarkable thing that happens when you shift your energy to things to add to your plate versus take away: you start to naturally displace those very things you want to reduce.
When you add fiber and water-rich leafy and tender veggies to your plate, their very purpose is to help add lots of volume to your stomach, naturally helping you to fill up faster. When you add lean proteins and healthy fats, you provide the nutrients needed to release chemicals in your body that tell your brain you’ve had enough to eat, naturally helping you eat less processed carbohydrates and sugar.
This is where long-term change happens. In the small, consistent, daily shifts we make in our daily, weekly, and monthly choices. There really is no other place change can happen. Summer potlucks are the perfect time to start practicing.
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Teri Rose, OblSB, MS, LN is founder of the Benedictine CARE Wellness Ministry at the Benedictine Center. She is an Oblate of St. Paul’s Monastery (since 2020) and coordinates the Benedictine Practice Groups for Oblates. She is Founder of Perfectly Produce Weight Loss & Nutrition Services.