There is a lot of talk about being “restricted” or “deprived” when people switch to a healthier diet. I know I’ve heard dozens of friends, colleagues and acquaintances complaining about temptation, cravings and constantly falling off the wagon of whatever healthy eating plan they are trying to commit to.
Well dear readers, I’ve had a mindset shift that I want to share with you. Eating a healthy diet is satisfying, empowering, and the greatest gift you could ever give to yourself and your family.
Taking back control and not being a victim
I can vividly recall a time in my early twenties when I suppose I started to feel my mortality. I saw my aunt suffer with multiple sclerosis, my dad deal with high cholesterol, and both grandmothers experience some form of cancer. I felt a creeping fear of what diseases I would fall victim to in the years to come.
As I discovered holistic nutrition, I learned that the body wants to be in balance and strives to heal itself. Our physical being is built from the raw material we feed it. It’s not made of thin air! If we feed it donuts and french fries, our cells, organs and blood will be built from donuts and french fries.
What you put in your mouth is one factor in the chaos of life that you actually have complete control over. Once you know a little bit about nutrition, you get attuned to the fact that the struggles and discomforts of the populace are largely preventable, often with basic dietary changes.
Rather than sitting around and hoping I don’t get struck down by some evil disease, I choose to nurture and cultivate my health with delicious whole foods. I know that if I keep arming myself with knowledge, figuring out what my body needs now, and feeding it the right raw materials, I can continue to thrive. This simple self-empowerment has completely abolished my fear of aging, pain and disease.
Reconnecting with rituals
When we choose to eat healthy food, we reconnect with a few ancient human rituals that ignite a fundamental sense of well-being.
We choose to engage with our food sources, so that we know where our food comes from and connect more closely with the bounty of the earth.
We spend time cooking delicious and nutritious food infused with love, creativity and flavour. The ancestral food that I cook is actually significantly tastier and more satisfying than anything I used to eat on a standard diet.
Once we’ve cooked up a storm, we spend time honouring and savouring our food, and eating it together with our loved ones. This is a ritual rooted deep within humanity, which we often lack in modern life.
Doing the right thing
It feels good to be a “conscious omnivore” who fits nicely into the biosphere without encouraging cruel, irresponsible or toxic practices.
Healthy generations to come
The rapidly expanding scientific field of epigenetics has shown that traumatic events such as famine can have lasting effects on the health of offspring, even a few generations down the line. The damage caused by malnutrition is passed on through the “germline” of the stem cells contained within your gametes.
Essentially, my eggs’ cells already contain the cellular potential that will become the cells of future generations. I can help support the future health of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren with the nutritional choices I make today. How amazing is that?!
I hope you can make the mental shift from guilt and burden to confidence, ease and empowerment. Once you do, you’ll become the healthiest person you know! Your glow and energy will be infectious, and positive effects will spread throughout your circle of friends and loved ones. To your health!
—Liivi Hess
Liivi is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and is training to become a doula. She inspires women to find peace and personal power by taking control of health and fertility naturally. Liivi‘s passion is ancestral nutrition and primal lifestyle design. She and her partner Will live between Toronto, Canada and Queenstown, New Zealand.
Sources:
http://isabelfoxenduke.com/why-youve-fallen-off-the-wagon-again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenn-hand/4-mindset-shifts-you-can-_b_6408506.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11795