What if it's not just about the food?
I do a crap ton, and I mean a CRAP TON, of posting on social media about food. The benefits of certain foods, food prep, how to put together food plans etc. But, what if it’s not just about the food???
What? But wait, that’s all we hear about, is the food. If you change how you eat and if you eat this here and don’t eat this there, it will solve all of our problems right? We do hear a lot about food. With good reason. Food is a primary staple in our life. We HAVE to do it. All day. Every day. With that being said, there is good reason to put a huge emphasis on food and the nutrients it provides, as well as how make your life easier while dealing with this new way of eating. There are also MANY people that could benefit greatly from changing the way they eat and may get rid of health ailments or make their lives better in some way.
However, I can tell you from experience and from the clients I work with, ITS NOT JUST ABOUT THE FOOD! It never has been. We put so much focus on the food, that we forget or refuse to look at the rest of what is going on in our lives. I can see many of you right now getting ready to shut this blog down. “PFFFFT! I’m fine.” Well, that is what I thought. I’m strong. I’m capable. I can just power through this. I have a good life. Well, those thoughts were part of the problem!
With auto-immune disease (AID), which are plentiful – if you don’t know what they are google a list - eczema, IBS, Lupus, alopecia (hair loss), fibromyalgia, arthritis and on and on, it’s not just about the food! This kind of healing also applies to anyone, not just the AID blessed. We have to dig deeper. EVERY AID, with the exception of Lymes disease, started with a traumatic or series of traumatic events. These events may not seem traumatic, but your body says they are. I have traced mine back to a car accident at about 30 mph followed by a change in career and working long stressful hours while raising a family. My body just said enough. It stayed in flight or fight mode and started attacking itself. Nice huh? Well, I can say thank you to my body for this because it has taught me a great deal and allowed me to help others learn how to live their best lives with AID or just in general.
So what is it if it’s not just about the food? It’s a combination of factors in our life.
It’s about movement – are we moving at the level our body needs at the moment and not what we think we should be doing. There was a time when all I was allowed to do was easy walks and restorative yoga. Coming off of doing HITT and weightlifting etc., this was a hard area for me to give in. We MUST listen to our bodies. Movement is not about pushing through the pain or the exhaustion. Movement is about celebrating what your body can do and enjoying what your body allows you to do.
It’s about self-care. This one I didn’t need much help with. I have always been a huge proponent of taking time for myself and taking care of myself. However, I had to come to terms with a different form of self-care. I am no longer able to do some things I could do before, at least not to the extent that I used to do them. I had to let go of that and feel ok asking for help, not worrying about what others think and just focusing on what was best for me. If that means I hire a cleaning lady and people think it’s a luxury and I am being foolish, then fine, but what they don’t know is that if I try to clean my house fully I end up in pain for days and sometimes weeks and the stress of it all puts into a full blown flare. Forcing my family to do it does nothing for the stress so I choose to pay someone else. This is the type of self-care I had to come to terms with. Taking time for myself is the easy part for me! Make sure you do also. Every day!
It’s about caring about what we are putting on our bodies. Toxins are not only in food. In fact sometimes, what we put on our bodies will cause reactions faster than food. What you put on your body soaks into your skin in 6 seconds. That is quick and everything from toothpaste to deodorant to perfume contains ingredients that aren’t meant to interact with the chemistry of our bodies. Learning about products and ingredients that are safe for us and sometimes making our own products is the way to avoid toxins on our bodies.
It’s about learning about how to deal with stress. This is a VERY important tool in AIDs. Our bodies think they are in WWIII all the time. I can break a glass or my dog can pee on the carpet and my body FUHREEEEKS out! I tell it to chill but it’s already gone bezerko! Learning how to get through stressors with meditation, yoga, restructuring those conversations in your head, dealing with your emotions instead of ignoring them, giving yourself the permission to feel instead of ignoring, using EFT emotional freedom techniques, and many other techniques is a start to helping the body move through the stress without it getting stuck in your body to cause damage.
It’s about how to learn to heal yourself naturally. The majority of mainstream medical practitioners focus on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the causes. While there is a place and time for this, putting more chemicals in our bodies is not going to help our situations. Taking time to learn about supplements, essential oils and other natural paths to healing will not only help you heal the cause of your symptoms, but will not exacerbate the problems. I have found great relief in this area.
And yes, it is about the food. J Food is such a healing blessing. Eating the proper types, quality and combinations of food can enable your body to heal efficiently and provide energy for all of the other areas we need to address.
So there you have it. It’s not just about the food. There is a lot of information in this blog. It’s a complicated process and it can take years and years to figure this all out. This is why when I work with clients it’s a process. One that we both dedicate time and energy to completing. We must learn new ways of life and we don’t’ always get it right the first time. So be kind to yourself and remember, it’s not just about the food.
#selflove #autoimmime #selfcar #move #naturalheal #essentialoils #supplements #healthyfo #stre #naturalbeautyproducts
