The biggest lie we have in American culture is that we must diet to be healthy. I think that comes from the fact that we do not understand our own bodies. There is a distinct disconnect between mind, body, and spirit that we fail to address when talking about health.
One of the things that I've had to learn is that I was terrible about controlling myself when it came to food. I let the food control me! Think about the absurdity of that for just a moment. I allowed an inanimate object to have power over who I am and what I would do.
For example, if a whole pizza is sitting in front of me, I will eat the entire pizza. Because for me, pizza is one of those foods that does not fill me up. I can eat it endlessly and eventually suffer a gut ache.
The reality about pizza is that two slices should be enough for a meal. Yet, I somehow managed to eat eight. What does that tell me? I have no control over pizza.
When I lose control, I lose a part of my spirit. I feel defeated, or at the very least I feel powerless. My relationship with the food was it about completing a task and filling an emotional void over experiencing a nutritional effect. What I mean by that is the nutrition I could have derived from eating two slices of pizza, and a side salad would have been much more useful for my health than eating 4, 6, or 8 pieces of pizza.
This example from my experience is to show you a Tour de path of control. That path that I use involves some external limits. To learn self-control, I have to see what that control looks like. And there's a system that I use that requires some color-coded containers that provide me an external control.
I don't mean to degrade myself, but like a dog with an invisible fence, I needed to learn where the limit was. And by doing that, I eventually start to feel a change in my body. That requires my mind to be in connection with my body. And the only way that I achieved that relationship is by paying attention! How does my stomach feel after eating this food? How does my attitude change after eating this food? How do my thoughts evolve based on the food I'm eating? How does my spirit become expressed?
Once that connection is established, I'm able to use an external limit no longer. These color-coded containers disappear. The external limit starts to become an internal limit. That was the way that I learned how to eat nutritiously and stop dieting.
Now, there is an alternative method to this that is a bit shorter of a learning curve. There is a manner of learning internal limits so that you can feel free about your food choices. Think about it as an inverse relationship to what I presented earlier with the color-coded container system. The internal limits are set then you visualize them externally, and the process evolves that way.
The Magnificent thing about having this control is that it actually provides me freedom. I know what I need, I know what it looks like, I know what I feel like, and I know how it affects me holistically. By that, I mean how it affects my entire frame of existence. My personal experience in the world.
If you're reading this and you realize that you are out of control, don't worry! I was there too! Thankfully, you could adopt either of these two methods and see a significant change in your health. This link to a study about mental health and nutrition might help convince you that you need to be in control of your food choices. The part of this that I want to make a very clear is that the aim of either of these processes is to change a relationship with food. Transitioning away from an emotional attachment or a lack of understanding toward a relationship of fuel, and fulfillment.
Once that relationship evolves, will find ourselves enjoying a cookie without any remorse. We'll find ourselves eating a cheesesteak without any guilt. Because the rest of our meals focus on the nutritional value and allowing ourselves the latitude to enjoy all of the amazingness that all food creates as a part of our great Human Experience!
So my question for you is this: are you aware of your relationship with food? Is this relationship serving you? Or is it causing you harm?
I want to offer you a chance to learn the limits, and experience freedom at little or no risk to you. If you would like more information on the color-coded control system or the internal limit system, click on either of the links embedded here or send me an email to set up a time to chat.
Your life is worth living to its fullest measure. And if you're not in control of what's going into your body, you are not really in control of your life. That's a hard pill to swallow! Yes, we need to understand that we were blessed with this ability to control this part of our world, and we should use that power to bring about a healthy and fulfilling life.
Be well, friends.
Peace,
-Matt
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