Have you ever been on a diet? If you are a woman, you most likely have. And yes, I do mean “fact” and not “fat”. Facts about diets that are confusing us all.
I don’t particularly like using the word “diet” but for the sake of this article I will refer to the various lifestyle choices as diet choice, because at the end of the day in nutrition the word “diet” is defined as the sum of food consumed by a person.
This subject is very close to my heart as I battled with my weight and health for a long time. Unfortunately, we as women are never happy with how we look – “my boobs are too small/big, my bum is too big, I have thunder thighs, my hair is too curly/straight, I am too fat/too thin” and so on. A lot of the pressure comes from the media and the current Beauty standards that imply that you have to be skinny to be beautiful. Every day we see actors and models looking fabulous, immaculate and fit. They have no issues getting back their pre-baby body in “4 weeks” or looking fit and fabulous in “10 days”.
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But we do forget that these women, and also men, are paid big money to look good – being a model or actor is their job and if they don’t do their job properly they will not find meaningful employment. We also forget that these people earn an enormous amount of money and don’t have a typical 9-5 job. They have nannies to help with the kids and get them ready for school, they have assistants that take care of their chores, and they have chefs that cook their meals and personal trainers that train them.
Every day we are continuously bombarded with conflicting information regarding the latest diet or exercise regime. There are experts in each field claiming one diet is better than other. We have the raw foodies, the vegetarians, the vegans, the paleo, gluten free, dairy free, the low fat, the meal replacement shakes, the juicers, the blenders, the fasters and on and on we go.
Each expert in their chosen field claims to have the answer to weight loss, good health and longevity endorsing their own lifestyle choice, and sometimes berating and condemning the other lifestyle choices.
Usually people start on a diet and it works for them and they feel great, so they become emotionally attached to the diet and they start to identify with it. As soon as someone suggests anything different or offers a different opinion about the diet they start being very defensive about their lifestyle choice – in fact they become emotionally attached to food. Emotional attachment to food is what gets us into trouble.
With so much conflicting information available to us all, it’s no wonder people are confused what to do and which lifestyle to adopt.
I personally have adopted a gluten free lifestyle. After endless diets in my life I have found that once I have eliminated gluten, I started feeling better. I have lost weight, my migraines have disappeared and my mood swings and anxiety attacks have stopped. That was my trigger point – so I have consciously chosen to eliminate gluten from my diet. That said, I do not advocate that everyone should do so or that being gluten free is better that other diets.
I still enjoy an occasional pizza, because I just feel like it, but I mainly eats meals that nourish my body on all levels. I try and have the best of all. My diet consists of unprocessed wholesome foods that are gluten free, meals that are raw or paleo, vegetarian or vegan and smoothies or juices etc. In my opinion all of the diets I mentioned have merit, but I believe that balance is the key. Balance of healthy, wholesome, real food is what works for me. I will not advocate that going gluten free will work for everyone, same as I would not advocate that being vegetarian is better that being paleo.
We are all looking for that perfect diet, a diet that will make us healthier, or make us lose weight but I would suggest a simple and free tip: develop a “love” relationship with your food. Food is not our enemy – we have the power to choose what we eat, how we eat and where we buy the food we eat.
You have to be clear in your mind that you are an individual, try and separate emotions from food, have an open mind, educate yourself as much as possible about different choices and adopt a lifestyle that suits you.
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Love your food, know where it comes from, and learn to cook. Involve your family in the food preparation. Choose foods that you like and make a special meal. Food does not have to be complicated or hard to prepare to be healthy and tasty. I don’t think there would be anything worse than forcing yourself or your family to eat in a way that makes you or them miserable or unhappy. There is no point in choosing a way of eating that is not sustainable.
Let your body be your guide, learn to listen to your body and take note how your body feels after eating certain types of foods. Eat what feels right for you and you only. What works for one person, may not necessarily work for you. We as humans are all different – different bodies, different constitutions, different likes. Take into account the environment you live in, think about what season we are in. Adjust your eating accordingly – If you live in a cold climate or it is winter it makes sense to eat warming foods – foods that nourish you and keep you full, so your body can operate optimally for that time of year. If you are in a hot climate your body will thank you for lots of salads, fruits and water. If you think you have overindulged, you may need to give your digestive system a break – do a mini cleanse or detox. But again, listen to your body and do what feels right for you.
Learn to listen to your body and what your body is telling you.
Be aware of what you eat and how it makes you feel.
You are the one that knows best what is right and what is wrong for you.
Eat to nourish your body. If you seek for the cheap organic food check out Woolworths Catalogues.
If you have a problem with dieting and choosing what lifestyle to follow to achieve “your” optimum health, please engage a professional to help you. There are naturopaths, nutritionists, health and wellness coaches and food coaches that are more than willing to guide you on your journey. You can also contact me if you would like any further information.
Love & blessings…Lidija
