Eating all the "right" foods and still getting nowhere?
It’s a confusing world out there.
So many rules around what to eat.
Don’t you think?
Eat meat, don’t eat meat. Eat fruit, don’t eat fruit. Eat vegetables, but only raw. Eat vegetables, but only cooked. Do not eat grain. Eat grain!
And all the names….
Paelo. Vegetarian. Vegan. Plant-based. Low-carb. Keto. Atkins. Dukan. HCG. Zone. Pescarian. All the different types of vegetarian – Lacto, Ovo, lacto-ovo.
Geez. Confusing!
It’s the biggest problem I see with food and diets and where people are at with their eating.
So many people want to eat well.
That is their intention.
They want to eat well, lose weight, gain energy and rid themselves of digestive unrest.
So they try one diet.
Then they read somewhere that that specific diet is wrong and that they should try this other diet.
So they do, to only read somewhere that there is this better diet, and that they should do that instead.
So they do. And nothing changes.
Except only they just get more confused. And upset. And overwhelmed.
And then they give up.
And that is how the cycle goes.
So how about we look at this from another angle.
Just say you currently are eating a varied wholefood diet, with minimal processed foods and takeout.
If you are doing that, then that is a fair place to start – most diets and regimes can at least agree on that – avoid processed foods and favour wholefoods.
So let’s start there – with a varied wholefood diet (with meat, no meat, dairy, no dairy, grain, no grain – it does not matter). And how about, instead of painstakingly assessing what you eat, let’s look at how you eat instead.
Sound good?
Okay so, Vaidya Smith has identified in his book Ayurvedic Nutrition 9 points to consider around how you eat.
And they are:
Mental attitude
Environment & company
Attention
Food quality
Kind of food
Preparation of food
Order of food
Quantity of food
The act of eating
Looks and sounds like a lot. Kind of is, but do not worry – I am not going to bombard you.
The idea here is to discourage overwhelm and to approach food and eating completely differently to how you have before.
So with that said, I am not going to talk about all nine today, and instead will start with Mental Attitude.
Put simply, food is meant to bring us joy (along with nourishment and vitality).
It really is. It is not meant to be confusing. Or painful. Or a drag. Or something we just “do”.
Eating is a ritual. And it is meant to be enjoyed. And that enjoyment (or potential for) starts with our mental attitude, and how we feel and approach our food and eating.
Not sure about your attitude toward food?
Never really thought about it?
Or perhaps you have thought about it a lot – too much?
Here are some questions to consider:
Do you love food or hate it?
Is food a necessary evil?
Does it “take up your time”?
Do you think about food a lot or not at all?
Is your basic attitude to food negative, positive or neutral?
How did you go? What did you come up with?
According to Ayurveda this one simple thing is the best digestive aid. And it does not come in a bottle, or a packet or even in a wholefood.
It comes from you. And it is – your enjoyment around food. That is, your mental attitude toward food.
That simple.
Because we should enjoy our food. Eating is one of life’s joys and it should not be either too important (obsessive) or ignored (disregarded as unimportant).
Eating food just because it is healthy but actually hating it is, according to Ayurveda, disruptive to the digestion and metabolism. And so is eating food just for the sake of it, just to “fill up.”
So with that said, enjoyment, in a balanced sense, is the best-ever digestive aid you can get.
How simple is that!
And how good is that?
Because!
Because the power for change on this one comes from you.
Not from a diet. Or regime. Or pill. Or product. Or some exotic plum from Kakadu. It all comes from you.
So there we have it. Part One of How You Eat.
Next up: Environment & Company.