Clearing the Confusion Around Nutrition
This is a real text I've gotten from a client: "I'm so frustrated. Paleo, Whole 30, keto..... VEGAN??? I don't know what is good anymore."
It's a jungle out there.
I'm sure you can resonate with the confusion and frustration in her text. And if you stop to think about the onslaught of "lifestyle" diets that call for the restriction of whole food groups or macros, things are really starting to get out of hand.
Are you ready for this? Paleo. Vegan. Vegetarian (including Lacto, Ovo, and Ovo-Lacto varieties). Pescetarian. Pegan (paleo vegan). Kangatarian (yes, it's a thing in Australia). Ketotarian (keto vegetarian). The Zone. Atkins. South Beach. Candida. Mediterranean. Raw Foods Diet. Intermittent Fasting. Atkins. Cabbage Soup. Master Cleanse. Grapefruit Diet. (For some, eating is tied to religious or ethical values. If that's you, this post isn't directed at you. I'm talking to those who make eating decisions based on weight or health outcomes.)
If you do a quick Google search you'll find even more.
It's no wonder you're confused. If I tried to make my decisions based off what I read in my Instagram feed I'd be pretty darn confused as well.
I believe, and Carol believes, that good nutrition is really just a matter of common sense. In fact, in just a few short weeks we will be releasing our virtual transformation program, The Common Sense Transformation (CST). In essence, our "common sense" approach to nutrition is all about cooking your own food from fresh, perishable ingredients made from the best quality your budget can afford, eating mindfully so that you remain in tune with your natural appetite cues and knowing when and how to indulge in those satisfying foods that feed your soul.
All of our beliefs are grounded in our faith and in the Truth found in the Word of God. Here's a little excerpt from the CST textbook in a section dedicated to "What Is Good Nutrition?":
Good nutrition is simple. Don’t believe us? Imagine this: the Creator of all creation is forming man in His own image and He thinks to himself, “And now I make man. And I make nourishing man an impossible endeavor meant to drain the life and joy from him. An endeavor so complicated that many will never perfect it but will instead spend their days obsessing over what to consume, searching Google and Instagram for answers." No? That doesn't sound right to you? It doesn't to us either.
No, it doesn't sound right at all. And if you take a closer look at the natural, God-given bounty of nourishment that his creation provides for us you'll find that in His wisdom He designed His food (real, from-the-earth fuel) to perfectly support us.
Carbohydrates like grains, oats and root veggies supply steady lasting energy, fiber that supports the health of the gut biome, and satisfaction when eaten in proper amounts.
Fiber-rich and nutrient-rich veggies provide a host of micronutrients that fuel our cells and metabolism.
Protein provides the building blocks of the body, slows gastric emptying helping us feel full, and builds up our muscles and tissues.
Fats support cellular health, metabolism, give rise to hormone production and supply energy.
Certain herbs and spices provide potent therapeutic benefit, can help to greatly reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure/hypertension, alleviate headaches and chronic pain, fight infection and boost immunity.
Water quenches us and provides the base fuel that makes the body go.
Sea salt is an excellent electrolyte, aids in cognitive and neural function and even supports enhanced nutrient absorption in the gut and GI tract.
Dried leaves steeped in hot water can provide countless health benefits (tea, anyone?)
Perfect. Complete. Comprehensive. Common Sense.
Eat a variety of home-cooked meals made from fresh fuel in moderation and according to your practice of self-discipline. Allow for indulgences at appropriate times and in the appropriate state of mind. Drink your water. Drop the anxiety, confusion, guilt and shame. Really, it's that simple.
But it's not that easy.
Often the correct solution is also the most difficult to execute, and so we look for the easy way out by over-complicating the matter. It's as if we believe that the more technical and sciencey we get, the quicker and easier arriving at our desired destination will be.
Carol's said it a hundred times, so I'll make this one hundred and one: Nothing worth having is going to be easy.
There's a reason for the process. It's called learning, and there is absolutely no shame in learning a new way to do something. This process of expanding your mind, strengthening your discipline, fine-tuning your self-awareness, testing the boundaries and self-correcting, observing outcomes to your decisions until you sit confidently at the wheel, is really quite beautiful. And beyond worth it. It develops within you a maturity that draws people towards your light, towards what you now have.
You can choose the easy way out or you can choose to walk the narrow path. One leads you in a circle, the other to your destination.
In Break Through: 6 weeks to Demolish Diet Culture Strongholds, we'll be walking you step-by-step through the learning process to transform your relationship with food.
The paperback or ebook will be available on Amazon, April 2021. To be notified when released, JUST SUBSCRIBE TO THE BLOG. no spam. we promise.