Changing our diet also means changing the way we live in so many ways. For this reason I can understand why or how changing the way we eat can be a bit challenging as it may offer social and even environmental changes. However, it is for this very reason that it is so important to change the way we eat. To eat in a way that harmonizes us not just internally but also on an external level toward a lifestyle or way of life that elevates, inspires, and harmonizes us to the natural world around us.
Our food can either poison us or it can become our medicine. It is all dependent upon how we eat it, what we are eating, and how much of it we are consuming. Some foods are very nourishing for the body while others are controversially debated if they are even foods at all.
I am going to walk you through how to change your diet in a soft and gentle way. Making a decision like changing our diet may feel daunting, but it doesn't have to. It is all a matter of making choices and then step by step choosing to love ourselves each step of the way. Sometimes that will mean having big successes and feeling so accomplished and other times it will mean falling 'backwards' and having to find some grace for ourselves and try again. The important thing is to be open to the challenge and experience, as well as come at it from a loving perspective that allows space for 'mistakes' but has determination behind it reminding you that it's not about being perfect but simply doing your best.
Something that helped me out immensely along the way was building a trust with myself. A trust that no matter how many times I fell of the 'bandwagon' I could trust myself enough to know that I would get back on again. Often times those 'failures' were simply lessons showing me something that allowed me to build in my determination to want to try again. That trust has grown as well as the love behind it. Making these kinds of changes, in my opinion, need to be backed by love and gentleness so the intentions behind them can come from an empowered and love-filled space rather than a punishment space. When we can begin the journey of changing this mindset from punishment to self-love it opens up more energy and space for healthier habits and integration of those habits that can solidify in our being and nourish us fully on every level.
Someone told me once, "It is easier to change your religion than it is to change your diet."
This really stuck with me and has helped me better define and understand what my why was behind choosing to heal my body and eat healthier. I began to understand that if I could grow the will, love, and respect for myself to change my diet then I, in fact, had the power within me to do just about anything.
Step 1: DETOX
Detoxing the body can be really helpful to shifting what foods we eat and there are many reason behind why it is so important to detox the body regularly.
Some of us are coming from diets that consist of lots of processed foods, sugars, mucus-causing foods, heavy foods, etc. These types of foods and diets tend to weight the body down, clog the digestive system, and leave a lot of fermentation and even mucus in the gut and intestinal tract. The reality is if we are backed up like this then our bodies have a heavy load of toxins, mucus, backed-up poo, etc. in them and may not have the space or capability to process foods well and fully. This can lead to improper absorption of nutrients in the system when we do consume food.
So, how do we fix this? WE DETOX.
We need to clear the system of all the old garbage, so that when we do begin to switch over to a more nutrient-dense diet, our bodies can properly absorb and utilize those nutrients!
Another thing to consider is this- if we have over growths of yeast/candida, parasites, fungus, unhelpful bacteria, or an imbalanced gut microbiome in general... then those things in our gut that are so used to eating processed or unhealthy things are going to be sending signals to the brain that they want more of that.
I always hear in the diet-culture how we can just intuitively eat. In other words, "Let me just listen to my body and it will tell me what it needs."
Unfortunately, eating intuitively is not going to be functional for anyone that isn't detoxing their system regularly. If you are not detoxing regularly then chances are what you think your body is saying is actually just what the overgrown yeast, fungus, parasites, etc. are actually saying.... and well, if our aim is to eat healthy and heal the body then that is just not going to work.
So, how do you detox your body? There are so many different ways to do this: juice fasting, water fasting, dry fasting, parasite cleanses, candida cleanses, kambo, shankhaprakshalana cleanse, liver and gallbladder cleanses, heavy metal cleanses, etc. etc. etc.
My advice? Figure out what you are cleansing and why. If you can get specific and pinpoint the purpose behind detoxing or what organs or even specific inhibitors you are detoxing then you can narrow it down to one specific intentional detox of your system at a time.
I plan to be releasing information on different types of cleanses and detox protocols here in the future that I have done myself and believe in. So, keep your eyes peeled or subscribe to our newsletter for these releases and updates.
Once your body has been cleansed, from there, it is going to be SO much easier to switch our diets over to a healthier diet and lifestyle.
STEP 2: NUTRIENT DENSE DIET
Now there are SO many different diets that you can do. However, I am going to share the diet that works across the board and can help just about anyone regardless if you are vegan, pescatarian, vegetarian, carnivore, etc.
READ THE FOOD LABELS: Your first step is going to be removing any foods from your diet and lifestyle that are filled with chemicals, overloaded with heavy preservatives, have unnatural food dyes and flavorings in them, are filled with MSG, have weird seed oils in them like canola or rapeseed, have high fructose corn-syrup, or have labels on them that are ridiculously long and are filled with ingredients you can't pronounce and don't know what they are.
Personally, I have discovered that there are about 2 food isles in most grocery stores that have edible foods worth looking at and eating- the produce/bakery/meat section and then the 'natural foods' isle. If you do find you need items from other sections of the store then take your time and really read the ingredients list. Make sure you know all the ingredients that are on those labels. Purity truly is important when it comes to what you are ingesting into your body.
I personally opt for growing my own garden in the summer, going to farmers markets whenever I can, and otherwise I personally shop at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's tends to have pretty clean ingredients on their food labels and they are NOT using weird dyes and preservatives. So, I can actually go down all the isles and enjoy a lot of the foods they have to offer there.
CHOOSE NON-GMO: There is a lot of debate regarding organic food and I personally have realized for myself that I rarely even trust the 'organic' label these days considering it is run by the FDA.... ANYWAY, subject for another time. With that said, I do pay attention to whether something has been genetically modified (GMO). We literally are and do become what we eat. So, if we are eating genetically modified foods then guess what? Those foods are going into our bodies and messing with our natural DNA and in turn genetically messing with and modifying our DNA. Plus, GMO foods have been known to have less nutrients in them for your body!
So, once you have figured out the food label thing and have integrated and gotten rid of a lot of the weird ingredients in your food. Switching your food to Non-GMO is next! Integrate this step in now. Start paying attention to labels and see which foods do and do not have the non-GMO label because it indeed matters....
CHOOSE WHOLE FOODS OVER PROCESSED BOXED FOODS: Now that you have successfully removed most GMO foods from your diet and integrated this, as well as ditched weird food labels. Now you can begin to integrate this step in! This is probably my favorite step of them all simply because eating whole foods simply means eating natural foods in their natural form.
This is going to be fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy oils (avocado, olive, pure sesame seed, coconut, and ghee), dairy (I personally opt for raw milk or goat milk products- local if possible), eggs (free-range and no-antibiotics- also local is possible, meat (grass-fed and free-range- also local if possible), whole grains, etc. Basically, anything in it's most natural form that hasn't been heavily processed and put into a box.
Opting for a whole food diet gives YOU your power back. It gives you the advantage to begin making more nourishing meals for yourself from home as well. I have found that food-prep can be a lifesaver during those busy moments of life. So, once or twice a week preparing what I will need ahead so I can grab for whole foods and healthier options I have made myself.
Yes, this may take some trial and error; especially, if you are not used to cooking your meals. However, there are loads of recipes available to us at our fingertips through places like pinterest, google, etc. I personally like pinterest because it allows me to save recipes and go back to them as I need them. Learning to cook our own meals can be creative, exciting, and inspiring if we let it. Plus, we get the added benefit of putting the most important ingredient into our food: LOVE.
PROPER FOOD COMBINING: Now that we have integrated in all 3 of the other steps into our life we can now move into this step.
Keep in mind that there is no rush to each step. Take your time and really enjoy the process. Allow yourself to adjust into each step until it becomes natural and easy.
I know I said the last step was my favorite, but actually this one may just be my favorite favorite. This is because of how drastically this step has changed my life and lifestyle. It has allowed me to eat all different kinds of foods that I love without digestive consequences. It has allowed my body to properly break down the foods in my system as well as absorb the nutrients from my food with more efficiency. Through this step of proper food combining, I have learned not only how to enjoy food but also allowed my body to properly utilize nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and absorption of all the above. This has led to balanced weight, less bloating, regular bowel movements, clearer mind, and better optimized energy.
I simply follow this chart below:
I do not own the rights to this image. It was made and created by Detoxinista.
Learning to eat this way has been a process of trial and error and to be completely forward, has taken many 'backwards' steps as well. However, with each backwards step I have taken 2 forwards so it has all been worth it. To have a healthy digestive system has made this journey worth it. I personally have paired the Integral Rice Diet with rewiring my food habits and following food combining for this whole last year. It has been much detox on the body and then rebuilding of the system through eating clean and properly combining well.
Overall, my system has thanked me dramatically! And I love how versatile food combining is. It is easy in the sense that just about anyone can do it regardless of which type of diet you follow, be it meat eater or not.
Basically, the diet consists of a lot of neutral veggies and then one other category at a time. One thing this chart does leave out is that you really should only be eating 1 protein at a time. So, basically don't mix your chicken with your fish.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone in some way! Wishing you all a happy and healthy life!
-Angela
