Many of us struggle with matching our actions with our values when it comes to making the jump to plant-based eating. In the last episode of Vegan Cooking and Food Psychology, Kathleen baked up some amazing vegan (and gluten free, too!) peanut butter cookies while Dr. Marilyn shared from her experience about the power of self-awareness when it comes to making changes in our lives.

Step 4 of the Carnivores Anonymous recovery process is crucial, so put aside some time to sit down with a pen and paper and write down the typical thoughts, habits, routines, feelings, and actions that you experience on a regular basis. This step is about taking a good look at yourself, the positive and the negative, without judgement. This self-knowledge will become the foundation for developing strategies for changing your life that will actually work.

When we know our patterns around food and eating, we can start to exercise more control around them. Our brains often sabotage our work to build a healthy lifestyle by justifying things we know aren’t good for us in the long run. More self-awareness helps us notice when this is happening and question the stories that we tell ourselves about the impact of our choices.

You’ll be surprised how informative and helpful it is to reflect on what you do and why - especially with a vegan peanut butter cookie in hand.

Watch the episode here and mark your calendar for our next show on May 17.