Primary Nourishment
is not the food we eat.

Primary nourishment, or non-food sources of energy, are what really fuels our body, passion, mind, and ambition.

Primary nourishment was our go-go energy as children! Whatever our favorite play activity was as a kid, it took priority over coming inside to eat dinner. We were having too much fun to feel hungry.

When we experience the pure bliss and peace of new romantic love, that is the impact of primary nourishment. No kind of food, no matter how fancy, can replace the full-body feelings and distractions of young love. And what about your career? Have you ever ‘lost yourself’ in the middle of a work project? Speaking from experience, I can tell you that passionate entrepreneurs are fueled by their work.

Consider with me the opposite circumstances to childhood thriving, young love, or a passionate work life. Perhaps you can recall a time when you were in a blue or bored mood? How about a period in your life when you felt trapped by low self-esteem? At times like this, does the food you eat become your focus? No matter how much you ate, you never felt satisfied and were always thinking about foods you craved. Many people nurture themselves with food when emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual needs go unmet. Many people overeat because their lives lack purpose, excitement, or new challenges. Has that ever happened to you? Now is the right time to reinvigorate loving self-care.

Holistic health coaches teach their clients that primary nourishment goes beyond the plate, and turning to food to fill the holes in our lives does not solve problems–it adds problems.

The eight primary foods everyone needs as a matter of self-care are:

As you look at this list of primary foods that fuel a thriving lifestyle, you might start hearing a little voice in your head telling you falsely that “This won’t work for me.” Like everyone, there are many experiences from the past that lead us all to believe in limitations.

Some clients tell me it feels like there are many “selves” inside of their one life. On days when the little voice, often called the egoic mind, thinks it needs to be in charge so that we can remain safe, it begins the process of talking us out of taking action toward primary nourishment.

Another common experience is to notice a big difference between how we conduct our work and financial lives, and how we conduct our food lives. No matter the success achieved in some areas of life, healthy eating often feels like an impossible dream. What is unhealthy seems good and what is healthy seems boring. This kind of confusion goes beyond the logical mind, so I won’t expect you to now read a lot of biology about macronutrients! All of the menu items on this holistic health list can become sustainable primary nourishment for you because fear messages from ego can be transformed by the energy of self-love and self-care.

What is the next step for anyone wanting to nourish their life using this holistic menu?

During many strategy sessions with clients, we revisit many of the habits and notions that now either cause illness or healing in their physical body. Perhaps you’d like to have one of those conversations with me? In the meantime, here are my Eight Holistic Ideas for you to begin thinking about as you transform fear to self-care, and reach toward a life fueled on primary nourishment.

1. Accept yourself no matter what. It is possible to heal the relationship between the parts of yourself that you cherish and the parts of you that you reject.
2. Begin a 30-day Judgment Detox. Judging yourself or others is an exercise in creating enemies. When it crosses your mind that a situation or person is “wrong”, consider releasing that notion and send a loving thought.
3. Take time to listen. Our bodies are so very smart and know how to communicate with us. When we take time each day to check in with our bodies and listen, we are given wisdom and insight. Your body wants to get your attention.
4. Relaxation is not sinful. Have you ever connected relaxation with the bad feeling of “I’m supposed to be doing…”? Taking time each day to relax will lead to a cascade of health benefits. Each of us finds relaxation in unique ways and it’s fun to find out your favorite methods.
5. Nature and balance are a great combination, and we don’t have to be a tree-hugger to appreciate the importance of the natural world. As a tree-hugger, I can tell you that time spent near trees is simply magical, and if you haven’t done it in a while, I recommend it. Go outside. Take in the air. Watch the clouds drift by. Listen to the birds sing. You get the picture.
6. The kind of creativity I enjoy might bore you to tears. So be it. Find your best outlet for whatever creativity revs your body, mind, and spirit. There has to be something! Give me a call if you don’t know your best option. Or call your most artistic friend! Inspiration is a two-way street. It’s fun to talk about creativity.
7. Bored people are often isolated from active social life. There is a continuum of social engagement that humans desire, and perhaps you love being in the crowded room, meeting new people, and telling jokes? I hate that kind of thing. I’m more of a quiet person and my perfect social activity involves spending time with one other kind and fun people. We take a walk, go for coffee, or try out the new museum. What part of the continuum is ideal for you? As my second-grade teacher, Miss Sargent told us, being bored is a choice.
8. Home is where the heart is. It is also where the knee pain is and the big old pile of paperwork resides. The home environment that fuels your thriving lifestyle may feel like a destination you have never reached. There tends to be a lot of unfair comparisons for folks when they think about the current condition of their home and what they see on HGTV. I get it. A home is a place that we often share with others, and our personal energy for making it ‘perfect’ can deplete us. Creating a home life that supports wellness is an important adult activity, never-the-less, and it is a part of life that lets you practice self-love.

What would be most helpful to you today? Perhaps your strategy is to print off this page and read it again later. I often do that! Maybe you’d like to call a friend you’ve lost touch with and make a plan to catch up? Both of you likely have news to share. Or, how about you look into what it’s like to work with a compassionate holistic health coach? Sometimes talking to a kind stranger about work/life/nourishment balance is the best place to start.

If you have any questions about health coaching, contact me. I’m happy to hear from you!

Interested in learning more about self-care?

Contact Me!

Coach Georgianne Holland

Certified Holistic Health Coach, CHHC
Certified Diabetes Educator, CDE
Member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators
Member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners
Member of the American Holistic Health Association
Food As Medicine and Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner
Creator of the Solution Starter^TM Program for Prediabetes and the Homemade Health E-Newsletter.

Holland Health Coaching is located in Colorado. We welcome everyone to join us in our wellness practice. Please enjoy the free resources and expert tools you’ll find on our website.

Coach Georgianne does not replace your doctor; she helps you work with your medical team for your greater good health.