It’s a fantastic but potentially confusing time to be alive in the food world. Some of our questions might include -
· Does buying organic or non-organic really matter that much?
· What about GMOs?
· What’s so bad about processed foods?
· Is there a “best” diet to follow?
· What are the pros and cons of eating vegan, vegetarian, paleo, keto, whole foods, or any other of the (what feels like billions of) options?
· If I want to lose weight, what’s the best approach for me?
· Does it really matter how I structure my eating? – Three meals and two snacks? Several smaller meals throughout the day? Stop eating after a certain time? Etc.?
· How bad is sugar really?
· How much and what kinds of fat should I eat?
· What are my options if I want to eat healthy meals but don’t have time to cook?
· My children/spouse/family/loved ones are resistant to change. How can I deal with them?
· How can I deal with social situations that involve food and drink?
· Do I have to count calories/protein grams/fat grams/carbs, and more?
· Is the world going to end if I have a Snickers bar or have cake on my birthday?
· How can I know what’s best for me?
Is your head spinning yet?
I’m sure you can think of more questions to add to this list, too. There are so many things to consider when deciding what to put in our mouths that it can be overwhelming and tempt us to throw our hands in the air and give up on making any changes. It seems so much easier to keep eating how and what we currently do.
The first goal today is to get you to take a breath and relax. You’ve come this far in life eating how and what you do. Your food choices aren’t likely to kill you by tomorrow. You have time. There’s no need to panic or pressure yourself into changing everything immediately.
The second, and major, goal today is to invite you to –
TRUST YOURSELF AND YOUR INNER WISDOM.
Among all the thoughts, opinions, and advice swirling around out there about what and how to eat, precious few of them say anything about listening to yourself. And no, smarty pants, I’m not talking about the you that wants to stay up ridiculously late and eat all the chocolate. I’m talking about your truest self, the part of you that wants what’s best for you. You know she’s in there. Trust her.
How can we can we discern that voice and foster that trust?
1. Educate yourself – with a filter.
There’s a mind-boggling amount of information out there. Some bogus, some marginal, some solid, and some so true it applies to every soul who has ever lived. Read. Watch videos. Listen to podcasts. Talk to people you know and people they know. Be a great student. As you’re busy learning, pause often to ask yourself how you feel about what you’re hearing and what place it has in your life at that moment. Run it through your own personal filter. Realize that even if something is true, it may be best for you to store it away for later. Life, including our individual progress, is not a race!
2. Use the resources that come your way – with a filter.
I’m a firm believer that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. As you seek, you’ll find resources come into your path: books, articles, blogs, podcasts, videos, classes, people, (the list goes on and on). When they do, again, run them through your filter. See if they fit. A wise friend of mine lives by the motto,
It gives her freedom to try new ideas knowing that if, after trying it out, it’s not working for her, she can let it go and move on. Lesson learned. With this mindset, we can be fearless in trying new things and exploring our resources to find what serves us and what helps us serve.
3. Listen for that little ‘yes’ inside and follow it.
We’ve all felt it, that sometimes teeny, tiny voice deep inside us that tells us yes or no, wait or go. It’s undeniable. When we’ve heard it, we just know. If we have trouble discerning it, we can practice. It doesn’t always come easily, but it is a skill that we can develop. Some trial and error is okay. Listen carefully for that voice and when you hear it, follow it!
4. Know you. Do you.
The most important knowledge we can possess is who we are, where we are in our life and where we’re headed. Our job is to be our best self. A strong sense of these three things can keep us from being run over and losing ourselves as we’re exposed to the sheer volume of ideas we encounter as we strive to learn and grow. Knowing who and where we are and where we’re going can give us power – power to sift through ideas and practices effectively, power to pace ourselves appropriately, power to be ourselves regardless of anyone else’s opinion.
Whether we’re deciding what and how to eat or making any number of other important life choices, we can trust that if we take the time to recognize then listen, really listen to our innermost wisdom we’ll know what to do.