THE BEAUTY OF FLOW

If you’ve ever been in flow state then you know what an amazing feeling it is.  You are transported to a place where your full attention is on the task at hand.  Your focus is so intense that the rest of the world slips away, and time stands still.  I imagine it sounds like a pretty good place to be.

I’ve been fortunate to experience flow many times in my life.  I’ve been involved in different outdoor adventure sports that have enabled me to enter into “the zone.” It happened paddling down the Ottawa river in my kayak, knowing that Phil’s hole (a massive rapid feature at the top of the river) was right beside me.  I was focused and in the moment, knowing I’d probably have to swim from my kayak to shore, if I made a mistake. 

I have been there while playing a soccer game or skiing down a mountain.  You don’t have to be an outdoor enthusiast to experience flow.  I’ve also experienced a sense of flow while giving birth to my two daughters, working on a project, or dancing with my husband at our wedding.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the leading expert in the area, describes moments of flow in his book Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life, as:

Moments such as these that provide flashes of intense living against the dull background of everyday life.

These exceptional moments are what I have called “flow” experiences. The metaphor of flow is one that many people have used to describe the sense of effortless action they feel in moments that stand out as the best in their lives. Athletes refer to it as “being in the zone,” religious mystics as being in “ecstasy,” artists and musicians as “aesthetic rapture.”

Csikszentmihalyi states that “Flow is a source of mental energy in that it focuses attention and motivates action.” 

I believe that in order to access the resources that create flow we need to also look at the functioning of our bodies.  I believe that our bodies are a unified collection of systems – an intricate, symbiotic organism that achieves peak performance when all systems are functioning well. 

In order for that to happen, we should have a balance in life.  This balance is well provided by proper nutrition, exposure to nature and energizing movement.  We have to take care of ourselves in order to expedite the experience of flow.

HOW DEALING WITH FOOD ALLERGIES AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS HAS BEEN A GOOD THING FOR OUR FAMILY

This previous blog post discussed our cross-country road trip with our children where we all were working together out in the woods and were experiencing moments of flow.  I believe that it came more easily to us then because we were in a relaxed state, challenged often but not to the point of immense stress.  We were also eating and sleeping well, key factors that lead to optimum performance. 

It has taken us a while to get to the point of consistently eating exceptionally well.  My struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), which you can read about here, pushed me to take a real look at how we were eating. 

As I have mentioned before, our eldest daughter has many food allergies and I was terrified of giving her some offending food that would cause her to have an anaphylactic reaction.  We became very good at reading labels, learning all the “other” words listed for ingredients like egg, dairy, mustard, etc.  We would buy food items that were safe for her but not necessarily healthy.

When I was diagnosed with RA, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I researched and educated myself with the goal of, at the very least, improving my situation.  I was surprised to discover that the food I was feeding our family was safe but not necessarily nourishing and potentially, damaging. 

I started making small changes to the food I was buying and although I cooked every night before, I started to make food from scratch.  This allowed me control over what I was feeding Ayla, as well as myself. 

It took time with small steady changes but now, I believe our family eats an amazing diet, rich in dark leafy greens, colourful vegetables and fruits, clean proteins, and healthy fats.  We even enjoy some healthier sweets in the right amounts and with the right attitude. 

The connection between nutrition, health and being your best

It’s become clear to us that proper nutrition can reduce inflammation, aid in managing health concerns and also improve overall functioning. By discovering the right types of foods for managing my RA naturally while providing my family with safe and energizing nutrition, I have also seen the boosting effects nutrition has on performance.

The study of flow state has revealed the increased presence of specific neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and others, at the same time that an individual is in the zone. This discovery also speaks well of the importance of a healthy diet in providing adequate building blocks for these neural messengers to fire effectively and allow easier access to flow.

I see a clear connection between flow, nutrition, health and being your best – for you, your partner, your kids and your dreams.

Dr. David Perlmutter, a leading integrative medicine neurologist in North America and author to the New York Times Best Sellers, Grain Brain and Brain Maker, highlights grass-fed beef, avocado and coconut oil as part of his Anti-Alzheimer trio (http://www.drperlmutter.com/anti-alzheimers-trio/), states:

These items are all low in carbs and high in fat, helping to reduce some of that brain-bullying inflammation the root cause of so many ailments. Specifically, coconut oil is known as a rich source of beta-HBA, is one of our brain’s “superfuels.”

You may want to know why I highlight grass-fed beef instead of all beef, and the reason is simple: cows that are fed grains instead of grass have meat that becomes higher in inflammation producing omega-6 fats than their grass-fed counterparts. In addition, the corn and grain fed to cattle is overwhelmingly genetically modified, and this introduces worrisome proteins into non grass fed meat. It may sometimes be a bit more expensive, but it’s smarter to buy grass-fed when you can. Also, keep in mind that a vegetarian diet is perfectly consistent with our program. There is absolutely no requirement to eat any animal products whatsoever. What matters most is to be sure your food choices are low in carbohydrate and supply plenty of brain-healthy, heart-healthy fat.

What change in our diet made the biggest impact on our family? Incorporating clean protein and healthy fats into our daily meals.

I want to share with you one of our families favourite meals.  It is pretty easy to put together, especially if you get the whole family involved in the prep.   

GRASS-FED BEEF TACO SALAD

Author: Bree Rudner – bradrudner.com 

Serves: 4-6 

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1lb of grass-fed ground beef

1-2 tbsp of taco seasoning (see below for recipe)

1/2 cup of water

2 cups raw cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

2 cups of cucumber, peeled and diced

3 cups of Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 cup of green olives, cut in half

4 ripe avocados

1-2 tbsp of lime juice

2 cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane or in a press

salt and pepper

2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces

Taco seasoning:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Place all the spices for the taco seasoning in a bowl and mix well

In a cast iron skillet, cook the grass-fed beef for around 5-10 minutes on medium heat until it is no longer pink.

Drain off any excess fat from the meat.

Add water and taco seasoning and mix well.  Turn down the heat to simmer and let the flavours absorb, stirring occasionally

Place the prepared cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives in separate bowls for serving.

6. In a small bowl, place the avocado, minced garlic, lime juice and salt and pepper.  Using a braun mixer or a fork, mash until desired consistency.

7. Remove the ground beef from the pan and place in a separate bowl.

8. On each place, place the desired amount of romaine lettuce.  Then let everyone build their own taco salad according to their favourite toppings.

There you have it, a delicious, healthy, nutrient dense, fun meal that not only fuels our brains but also nourishes our bodies.

Enjoy!