How would you describe your diet?
Would you say you eat too much or maybe you don’t eat enough?
In this crazy world of ours our eating habits have become so far removed from what our bodies naturally require. Everyone has an opinion on what we should be eating with hundreds of fad diets circulating the globe every year.
The word “diet”, according to my Merriam-Webster Medical dictionary, is defined as:
- food and drink regularly provided or consumed
- habitual nourishment
- the kind and amount prescribed for a person or animal for special reason
- a regime of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight
The first two definitions are accurate. The other two have come in to play over the years as us humans have gotten further and further away from how we are naturally supposed to eat.
Which brings me back to my original question? Feast or famine?
What exactly do I mean by this? Well, feast is when we are feeding our bodies more food than it wants. We eat because we are bored, emotional and we love all the yummy foods available to us whenever we want it. We don’t even need to leave our house any more to get food as there is a driver willing to go and pick up our stomachs desire and drive it on over to us. Even when that food is less than a 100 metres away from our door step.
So, what happens to your body when you constantly feed it? To keep it simple, your body forgets HOW to be hungry and it no longer has any idea when it is satisfied. The food keeps coming and is stuffed full of sugar and fat in the most scrumptious combination which lights up your brain like a drug rewarding your senses causing them to spin around in pure happiness resulting in the need for more and more of this delicious drug.
Now, I am not for one second saying you need to eat bland food to avoid this excitement in your brain. That would be boring! Food is totally meant to be enjoyed. I LOVE food and I will never want to eat something that doesn’t excite my senses. However, foods which are manufactured and are far removed from what a REAL food actually is generates an unhealthy NEED for these kinds of foods culminating in an even more unhealthy appetite; leaving you feeling tired, ill and looking for your next fix hoping it will give you the energy you need to get through the day.
How many diets have you been on which encourage you to cut your food intake drastically leaving you to feel derived and absolutely STARVING?
I remember when I was terribly overweight and going on many a diet which told me I should reduce my food and then I would magically drop lots of weight and be a supermodel for the rest of my life. I believed every word they said but I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t sustainable. Mostly because I loved to eat with my diet full of foods which were not great for my health, or my weight.
Famine is still being taught us as the way to go to lose weight. If you cut down on what you eat then, Wooo Hooooo, you’ll lose all the weight you need to.
If you remove this vegetable, include this magic pill, exercise for 7 hours a day, don’t eat this, don’t eat that…. OH, my GOODNESS. It’s NUTS!
No one should be starving their body for the sake of losing weight. No one! Your body NEEDS food. It needs to be fed REAL food to keep it energised, to keep those body process functioning well and to keep you feeling AMAZING!
How do you do that?
My number one tip: eat REAL food. By real food I mean anything which comes from the earth. Vegetables, fruit, plant and animal protein, wholegrains and good quality fat. These combine for a powerhouse of nutrients specifically designed for all of your bodys needs. (Click here for a comprehensive list)
My number two tip: eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. LISTEN to what your body is telling you. We are all born intuitively knowing when we are hungry and when we have had enough. But as children this gets lost as a result of our parents, other influences and experiences changing our natural senses. This will take some time to get used to, especially if you have forgotten how. The next time you feel hungry ask yourself if you are bored, eating out of emotion or if you are truly hungry. Try and wait 10 minutes before you eat something. Think about eating a beautiful dish full of veggies. What does your body say? Yes or No? think about eating some chocolate or a packet of chips. What does your body say now? Yes or No? (HA-HA, probably yes). Is that your body talking or YOU?
That’s it. Two simple steps to implement RIGHT NOW.
But first, let’s collectively say NO MORE to ridiculous diets and YES PLEASE to good, nourishing, healthy food.
Your body is valuable. You are valuable. You deserve to feel energised and amazing.
Do you feel lost in the barrage of endless diets, not knowing which one is going to be the last diet you EVER go on?
I would love to help you find yourself again and to end the vicious dieting cycle. Please join me for the 12 Week Mind & Body Evolution Program. Your Evolution Awaits.