Three Steps of Healthy Eating

With our cul­ture becom­ing increas­ingly more aware of the effects of food, I like to think that we are evolv­ing in our abil­ity to make more con­scious choices in regards to diet and health.  Along with other healthy prac­tices, what we eat has great power to pre­vent dis­ease and to bring health and har­mony.  The state of mind and body that we find our­selves in at any given time is very much the result of our habits, includ­ing dietary habits.

As one is seek­ing to make healthy choices, the first step may be one of lim­i­ta­tion; e.g., lim­it­ing refined sug­ars, processed meats, or trans fats.  HEALTH is gen­er­ally the great­est moti­va­tor here.

The sec­ond state may involve a more spe­cific choice, e.g., var­i­ous diets, veg­e­tar­i­an­ism, raw foods, juic­ing, low carb/high pro­tein, or even a sim­ple deci­sion to eat more salad.  At this point many of us are look­ing for RESULTS!

The next step is more indi­vid­u­al­ized.  Expe­ri­ence, knowl­edge, and insight are key here.  This is the step that con­sis­tently guides your attempts like an arrow to the mark.  This is not a hit and miss approach with neg­a­tive side effects and dis­ap­point­ing out­comes.  At this point we are CONTENT!

The desired out­comes may seem con­sec­u­tive, but I view them as more supportive–goals of slightly dif­fer­ent ori­gin.  The body wants health, the mind wants results, and the soul wants peace.  The jour­ney towards what is best for the body may very well end up in what is best for the soul.

Each dimen­sion of this 3-part par­a­digm works to ensure the other.  Over the next few weeks I will be shar­ing tips for mak­ing your dietary habits more con­scious, effec­tive, and individualized.

Happy Read­ing!