I’m sure you’ve all heard about at least one of these. The paleo, the atkins, the keto diet, the vegan diet, the low fat diet, the … And you might have tried one or two. I most certainly have, I used to be convinced carbs are ‘bad and make you fat’. I had a phase when I ate animal protein every day and a phase when I did not for months. And it was all quite confusing. Who to believe? And what is the ‘right’ one to follow?” After diving deep into nutrition and studying oriental medicine there is one certain answer I can give you. There is no such a thing as ‘the one right diet’ that all of us should follow.

Every single one of us is unique. We have different physiques - some of us are taller, some shorter, heavier, lighter, younger or older, we’re women or men. And we are affected by different conditions and have different lifestyles - the climate we live in, job we do, health challenges we face, routines and interests we have and emotions we feel. None of the set diets looks at us as a unique individual taking all of these into consideration and that’s where by following one we can cause more harm than benefit to our body, even though it’s ‘all healthy’ on paper. Our condition changes regularly and so should what we eat as well.

So how to get out of this diet confusion and calorie counting and what is it that we should really eat? I would contradict myself if I told you one clear answer, but I can give you 4 basic principles to ask yourself and into consideration in order to start treating your body with the nourishment it deserves.

1. What do I want to achieve?

This can be anything from healing a health imbalance to improving the energy levels. Different health imbalances need different supporting foods. And this is the same for our feelings - if you want to feel more relaxed, light and spiritual you’ll need a slightly different type of food than if you want to feel extra energised and determined. When do you think a 3 eggs for breakfast would do a better job and where would a strawberry mousse be more suitable? Getting clear on what we actually want is a first step to see a successful result.

2. What is the season I’m in?

Think about the feeling you have in cold, snowy winters. You most likely want to be cozy warm, take things slower and get a big hug. Raw salad just won’t give you this, so you can eat as much of it as you want you won’t feel full and will need to go and spoon some nut butter out of the jar. But imagine how a warm ginger black bean stew would make you feel? This doesn’t mean don’t ever touch a salad in winter, it just means do less of it. And if so maybe add some strengthening sauce to it.

3. Where is the food from?

When we know where our food comes from we value it more. We eat it more mindfully and we absorb it in a different way. We also show that we care about the planet which means the more considerate it’ll be to us and the better we’ll feel. It’s a basic principle of like attracts like and being the change we want to see. This doesn’t mean guilt tripping yourself when you eat bananas from Dominican Republic, it means taking it in consideration, eating them with gratitude and doing the best you can.

4. How do I really feel about it?

Our body is our compass and behind the layers of judgment, opinions of others and our ego - we know exactly what’s right. When we take time to be still for a moment and breathe, we can tune into how eating vs not eating something feels for us. It can be the ‘best, healthiest, most advised’ food on paper. If for whatever reason our body feels anxious, tight, resistant. It’s very likely not the right choice for us at the moment and we won’t get many benefits from it. This takes practice, and trust me, it took me some years to get here, and I still have times when I forget that this is my biggest power. So take it one breath at a time.

The way we eat it’s not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. It shows how well we listen to ourselves and what we value. And it changes, from day to day and season to season. All we need to do is learn the basic principles and enjoy the dance.

V
aness
a krchov
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Vanessa is an illustrator and holistic coach, currently living in London. She believes in the power of food beyond its nutritional value, in feeling rather than thinking and in living in harmony with mama earth. Her mission is to empower you to be you - fearless and beautiful, creating the life you want to live.

@bright.lagoon

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