Today I had my first mono-meal, on purpose. Mono-meals are so simple, all you do is clean, cut/peel/prep one fruit/veggie, and indulge until your heart and belly are full and happy. Today I indulged in a big, sweet bowl of melon for my second breakfast (my first was a big ole jug of green juice) about three pounds worth. Actually, I think I cheated, because I sprinkled a small teaspoon of chia seeds on top because I love the teeny tiny crunch with any melon. WAIT a minute, this whole post is bogus–that wasn’t a mono-meal! Sorry folks, I think I just let you all down. Anyway, here is why I decided to start incorporating mono meals in my diet:
Easy Digestion: eating a bowl of just one type of fruit is very gentle on the stomach. Fresh fruit can process in your system in as little as six or so hours compared to three days for beef. Fruit brings it’s own live enzymes, so when it’s being digested, your body doesn’t have to use so much of it’s own enzymes, so it’s less taxing on the body to break down. If you eat food that has been cooked, processed or that doesn’t come with it’s own live enzymes, your body has to work a little harder to break it down, which is fine, but more taxing. So, the less time your body spends trying to break down and digest your food, the more time it has to actually repair and cleanse itself. I need to eliminate as much stress as possible, and if I can do that with digestion, than bring on the cantaloupe!
Convenience: Contrary to popular belief of the current times, stay at home mothers are very busy people. We are constantly
doing for other people and often times, we are left with little to no time for ourselves, even when it comes to eating. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fed my children breakfast, cleaned up after them and started preparing lunch, when I realize the only thing I’ve had was a glass of water and juice. I know now that I should just reach for my fruit and a bunch of it. To wash, cut and toss a bunch of fruit in a bowl is so easy and quick. The clean up is so much easier as well.
Budget Friendly: One mono meal can cost you less than a dollar if you love ripe bananas and find them on sale. Eating a bowl of just one fruit, you want ripe, sweet fruit, and usually that is the fruit that is on sale, because they want to get it off their shelves before it goes bad. Plus, you are buying in bulk. I love it when the fruit markets sell you a case of fruit on special, the price is so much cheaper, plus it forces you to eat fruit so you don’t waste any of it.
Prevents Over-Eating: I can’t list any studies here on this one, but I can just tell you from experience that when you are eating one piece of fruit in bulk, your body will enjoy and savor it at first, then as you start to fill up, you’ll start to notice sign of contentment. Other accidental mono-meals I’ve had by accident are mostly watermelon. The first crunchy, sweet, hydrating bites are divine, then as my belly fills up, the taste will change into something that resembles medicine (nasty cough syrup), basically, it lost it’s appeal. One time when I was pregnant, I ignored my signs of contentment and ate so much I almost wen to the hospital! It was embarrassing (slightly), because all I needed to do was pass all that water so my big butt could breathe.
Gratitude: Eating one fruit by itself, knowing that it’s going to go into your body and not only taste good, but do good things to
you, makes you smile. At least, it makes me smile. I smile in gratitude for what nature has bestowed upon me–healing in the form of a beautiful, sweet juicy melon. I have been blessed with a bowl full of hydration, live enzymes, vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients that is only going to do good things to my body, because that is the law of nature.
Okay, let me stop there cause ya’ll ain’t ready! lol, joking… yes you are (ready), but this post is getting too long for one bowl of fruit. Till next time!
All very very true!! I have mostly mono lunches during summer, this is my second year doing so and eating just one food at a time just makes you appreciate the food you’re eating even more.
PS: You look so happy looking at your melons tho! That was my favorite part of the entire post 😀
https://thevgcaesthetic.wordpress.com/
ha! you’re funny…I was happy, the melons was my favorite part about this post too!