We all want to look and feel like our greatest, most Goddess-y selves and taking care of our bodies is certainly an important part of that. But contrary to what the media might have you believe, it just isn’t the whole story. I know, in a world ruled by diet culture, it can be super tempting to hop onboard the latest food train—and don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about! Any of these sound familiar?
‘Did you know humans aren’t able to digest grains?’
‘Ew, dairy is full of growth hormones. A plant-based diet is the only way to lose weight.’
‘You’ll never heal your gut unless you eat bone broth, babe.’
‘Omg, that mango has, like, 30g of sugar! Sugar is the ANTICHRIST.’
And so on 😉 These days it’s practically the norm to be on some sort of diet plan or cutting out certain foods, and it’s always under the guise of ‘just losing a few pounds’ or ‘slimming down for summer.’ But it’s time to get honest with yourself, Goddess. Are your ‘healthy’ eating habits harming you?
The problem with seeing one set of food rules as the solution to your health/weight struggles is that nine times out of the ten, the food isn’t actually the issue at all. Putting all of your (chia) eggs in one basket and focusing on food fails to identify the other areas in your life that may be needing nourishment: relationships, work, what you read, how you move. All of these are essential elements that come together to make your happiest, healthiest you.
‘But what actually is the perfect diet, Mel?’
I’ll let you in on a secret…It doesn’t exist! There simply is no one-size-fits-all and what works perfectly for one Goddess might not work at all for another. It’s human nature to want somebody else to spell it all out for us, to give us one magical recipe that will transform us into glowing beacons of health. But following a diet plan created by anyone other than you only blocks you from tapping into the real secret to finding your healthy and happy balance: following your intuition!`
How do you do that? Well actually, you don’t. Yep, you read that right. You stop doing and you start listening. You surrender to your body. You trust her. You let go. It may seem counterintuitive at first and it is a bit of an art but once you’ve cracked it, it’s like coming home. There is a special connection between your mind, your food and your body – and once you master it, it will serve you for life. And you will laugh in the face of any new diets that try and tempt you away.
‘Okay, so that all sounds great, but I don’t know where to start!’
Actually, you do! Let’s get back to basics. Think about when you were a child, before carbs and fat and calories, when food was just food. You ate when you were hungry and stopped when you weren’t anymore. You made decisions based on what you knew your body needed, right there and then in that moment. Mealtimes were purposeful and your food was your fuel. Feeding yourself was simply second nature. Remember those days? You knew what to do then and you know now, you just have to trust yourself. You already have everything you need. All you have to do is begin.
Here are just a few points of inspiration that might help you find peace with your ‘perfect’ diet.
1. Start now
There is no better time to begin your journey than right now—the present moment is all we ever have, after all. Shed that diet mentality of ‘starting on Monday’ and make a promise to yourself this minute that you’re going to start nourishing yourself on every level. You’re going to find freedom, forgive yourself, love yourself. Yes, I’m sure you can think of a thousand excuses, a million reasons to wait. But if you wait for the ‘perfect’ time, I can promise you you’ll only be waiting forever. So make that intention now and move forward.
2. Relinquish control
We only ever feel ‘out of control’ around food when we are trying desperately to control it. Stop trying, start trusting. Dive head first into the dance that is life. Expect the unexpected and embrace it with all you’ve got. Ask yourself why you need to be in control of anything at all. And throw away the scales! How could they possible tell you how beautiful, how loved or how amazing you are?
3. Accept what is
Things will only start to change once you recognise the fact that food is not the problem and it never was – it’s only the symptom. A measure of worth that you have created, out of belief that you are somehow unlovable as you are, that there is something wrong with your body, that you need to change and manipulate it. I can tell you now: you don’t. You are not broken. You are whole. Perfectly imperfect in all that you are.
All my love,
Mel
XO
