How Do You Know What to Eat?

How do you know what to eat? For every diet, there’s a counterpart, claiming it’s opposite. Likewise, how do you know which exercise program you should follow? What about supplements? Alternative medicine?

We are fortunate to live in a time of multiple options for health care, food, and lifestyle. But our depth of choices can also be overwhelming.

For years, I was a diet book junkie; I’ve read and tried them all. I was a sucker for the magazine cover that proclaimed, “Lose ten pounds in ten days.” Or, “The Best Foods to Fight Depression.” Diets were hope in a book:  finally, I had a solution to my problem.

Until.... the diet didn’t produce the nirvana I sought and hope turned to frustration; then, to despair.

The alternative was trusting myself to know what to eat, when to exercise, or even knowing whether or not my “ideal weight” was realistic and attainable. (The ego, you see, would have me on a constant diet/beauty regimen until I was “perfect,” and even then, it wouldn’t be satisfied. I lived this way for years, and wouldn’t wish this hell on any woman.)

I knew this was the way to go. And I knew, unlike the latest diet, this way of living would bring me peace:  peace from my need to control my body, and its desires. But this process was scary. It felt risky, for if I don’t trust myself enough to make supportive choices—relying on my internal guidance—how can I survive without the external guidance; the food lists, diet phases, and meal guidelines?

But this is exactly the risk that I had to take. I stumbled upon this quote today:  “Progress always involves risk. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”

It took me a long time to switch from external guidance to internal guidance. I had to let go of my rigidity:  my extreme expectations for my body (only a size 4 will do), my food choices (You can never have carbs!), and for myself in general (you’re a bad mother whenever you lose it with your children.)