I don’t know about you, but I do not like rules! I get immediately anxious when I hear them. All the ‘you can’t eat that,’ ‘never do this,’ ‘eat this food to get this result.’ The list goes on.
I’m sure you know people that claim adding this one food to your diet will cure your (blank) because it did for them. It can be cutting out a macronutrient, adding in a magical supplement, cutting this one food out forever, etc.
(To be clear, I am not referring to the rules you already follow that actually do help you. We are all our own best doctors, and if something is working for you, great!)
This kind of black-and-white thinking usually comes from a place of fear and worry about one’s health. There are so many companies that thrive on this feeling in their customers. A big example would be weight loss companies. They prey on the idea that their customers are desperate, and a lot of dangerous products are consumed when we come from this place of fear.
Below is a list of statements that when said or read, need to be analyzed and, for the most part, dumped. Without realizing it, we may hold on to food rules that we learned as far back as our childhood. Ideas that are outdated or maybe only partly true and slightly altered resulting in a mix & match outlook on food and nutrition and our own health.
Here is a personal example – When I was little, it was ingrained in me that fat was bad – probably most kids in the 80s were told this. Whenever given the choice, I had to always choose fat-free products. When I was older and worked in a café, I had to do a food run. Without thinking about it, I got the fat-free stuff and my boss was so thrown off. She told me how these products usually had added sugar and salt to them to offset taking the fat out. I had never even thought about this before. It was very eye opening and led to a lot of research. This was my first big diet change/paradigm shift in relation to food and how I understood it, but I had many more to come!
Check out the list below to see how many you tend to follow, trust, or distrust. My goal is for you to be a little more skeptical when reading the newest ‘health’ headlines. It can be hard finding legit articles in amongst the marketing disguised as legit articles, products, and even studies.
Unhelpful Food Rules
Cutting out this macronutrient (carbs, protein, or fat) will cure your (blank.) In general, any statement that has the word ‘cure’ in it is suspicious. It is not common that one food is going to be at the heart of your symptoms. It usually takes any combination of diet, lifestyle, and spiritual changes to see improvement.
Also the longterm effects of taking out or even drastically reducing a macronutrient are not positive.
Eating this one new found food will fix everything – they may not be worded that way, but it usually sounds like everything in your life will align once you start consuming this new thing. I notice this a lot with new superfood supplements in magazines. I have fallen for weight loss junk all my life, so do not feel bad if this sounds like you! When we learn from our mistakes and grow from them, that is truly what life is all about.
I just saw a post today for a type of coffee:
- Who wants to Drink coffee and lose weight without having to diet and exercise? And sadly when I saw this one, there were already 2 women interested in doing this. It is feeding off of the desperation of people, and it sadly works.
These are other examples I found in my newsfeed in just 10 minutes:
- This Oil Destroys 93% Of Colon Cancer Cells.
- This powerful tea is one of the best remedies for swollen feet… This one may not be too sketchy, but the idea that one thing will fix swollen feet is misguided.
- The power of Kratom for everything… I haven’t even heard of kratom yet, but I will be looking into it now to see what the real story is.
- More Than 50 Thousand Cancer Patients Successfully Treated with This Incredible Juice.
You do not have to look far to find statements like this, so it is good to stay skeptical when looking through your newsfeed, a magazine (even ‘health’ mags are bad,) or even listening to someone tell their story.
Never eat this food if you want these results. Usually cutting out one food isn’t going to make a difference the same as adding one won’t, but there is a second issue with this one. When we use words like never and do not, all we think about is what comes after those words.
For example, DO NOT picture a pink elephant. I bet you got an image of that elephant in your head – I did! How does this relate to food? When we are constantly thinking of the foods we cannot eat, we want those exact foods. Do you find yourself craving the exact thing you said you were going to cut out for the next few weeks? That is just the way the brain works.
Look for ways to reword what you want to do. Think about what you are going to be adding in instead of what you are taking out. For example, instead of ‘I am going to cut out refined sugar for one month,’ try ‘I find foods that are naturally sweet when I am craving that sugary flavour.’ Something that really resonates with you and makes you feel empowered, not judged.
Eat 6 small meals a day; or eat 3 big meals a day; or eat a huge breakfast, a smaller lunch, and make supper your smallest meal. All of these assume we are all the same: our routines, metabolism, needs, diets, etc. These are great to try out and see which works best for you. If the first one you try doesn’t work, move on. If none of them work, create an eating routine that is perfect for you.
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself falling prey to these tactics, you may want to take a step back and do some reflection. There may be some emotional issues that are at the heart of it. This kind of self-awareness will lead to growth and self-love and that will lead to better and better food decisions.
You can then start with your own healthy food rules or guidelines.
Listen to your body. Eat when hungry and stop when full. How do certain foods make you feel?
What are the symptoms you are ready to work on? Looking deeper, what is the bigger reason for these symptoms? Work from there and try to include all aspects of your life – not only diet, but also lifestyle habits, thoughts and beliefs, and spirituality. These all impact our health and well-being. Taking an honest look at all of these areas of your life will help you get to the place you want to be!
The last step is a big one, so remember that I am here to support you in this exact way. If you need help connecting symptoms to the bigger picture, connect with me because that is what I do. Once we pinpoint an area or two, you will be well on your way to your most radiant health! {Click here to book a 1 hour Hormone Breakthrough Session.}
Yours in plant love,
Carly
