What is it that makes the typical diet fail? For one thing, there’s the idea of living with a list of yes and no foods in your back pocket that seems unappealing. There’s also the anti-social aspect of it. We tend to combine food, celebration, and socializing. This makes it hard for us to say no to foods since we align that with being difficult in the eyes of others.
Another reason is that a diet does not implement the wholeness of who we are, or keep in mind that our food is more to us than the physical substance we put in our mouth. If it were that easy, we could all do it. It isn’t a mind over matter issue. Willpower is great as a concept, but it does not withstand stress and emotional challenges as they come up. Neither does a diet.
Why is a healing diet different? We omit foods that might make us feel worse when eating them, but sometimes it’s not the immediate and direct impact of the foods that we notice. It’s the long-term effect. Different food choices affect our lives. Basically, the age-old line “you are what you eat” does hold true. On a crash diet, it’s hard to keep the long-term effect in mind because crash diets are very restrictive, especially when it comes to portion control. When we engage in a healing diet, it allows our body to regain its balance and reset its functions. This can seem like a very strict diet for a while, but it has a greater purpose than weight loss; its entire focus is on health. Weight loss is just a side effect and an indication of how our body will always try to rid itself of excess when allowed to.
In general, learning self-nourishment is the answer. Yes, the amount of food you eat does equal weight gain or weight loss, but the proportion of the foods you eat is what is actually important. Low calorie food like vegetables make it possible to still feel like you are eating a lot while losing weight.
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