When it comes to health and eating well, the word balance is used A LOT. It’s a mindset that revolves around giving a little here, so you can take a little there – I ate a salad for lunch, so now I can skip the gym, or eat a cookie for dessert. For some people, this works, but for many others, trying to find the “perfect balance” just causes frustration, comparison, and confusion, especially when it comes to #dietculture and #bodypositivity.
It’s no secret that I’ve struggled with food and obsessed over it to the point where it literally ran my life. It consumed my thoughts, took up hours of my day, and I was constantly stressed about what I was going to eat. Every aspect of my life revolved around food, and I was stuck in a vicious cycle of eating “clean” and then being “bad”.
Eventually I had had enough, and knew I couldn’t keep letting food control my life, so I began my journey into looking at food as a source of nourishment and nurturing, and instead of finding “balance”, I set out to find what my mind and body were actually craving.
I began to satiate my souls hunger with meditation, journaling, saying no, therapy, coaching, my intuition, and my obsession with controlling what I ate, over-eating “junk”, or mindlessly eating to fill a void, slowly dissipated.
For me the idea of balance never inspired a positive mindset, and it takes me back to that idea of “good” and “bad”, so instead I shifted my focus to neutrality.
Neutrality to me is embracing what is without judgement. There’s no “good” or “bad”, there’s just being, and focusing on things more important than our weight or how our butt looks in our jeans. There’s no judging others or ourselves if someone doesn’t eat the same way as us, there’s just doing what is best for our own bodies. I’m at a point in my life where I want to be neutral with everything…food included. Whether I’m plant-based or not, whether I’m 10 pounds heavier or not, I want to inspire people to focus on #dietneutrality and #bodyneutrality. I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror or look at my plate of food and feel neutral, and I want that for you too!
Six months ago, I never would have bought Cali’Flour Foods pizzas, because I was so ingredient obsessed! But now I’m shifting my energy towards new things, and focusing on popping a pizza in the oven and sharing a meal with my husband, instead of worrying about the cheese.
I’m a firm believer that what we allow ourselves to obsessively think about will determine the quality of our life, and by shifting my thoughts away from food and focusing inward on things that bring me joy, I was able to completely transform my life and overcome a struggle that once felt impossible to beat.
I’m no longer obsessing, or judging brands, people or places. I’m neutral, we’re all one, and we’re all just trying to do our damn best! While it’s obvious I have a “healthy” diet, I don’t see it that way. I see it as a lifestyle that I love and one that nourishes me on all levels: physically, emotionally, and mentally.
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