The Importance of Diet: It's more than just weight loss
- Bebhinn Rae
- Apr 5, 2015
- 3 min read
As I watch women and men close to me curl their faces in disgust while they slowly force themselves to eat their latest diet fare, I want so badly to tell them “It doesn’t have to be this way!” but I often refrain from mentioning anything because I know their short lunch break will not be enough time for us to truly delve into the nitty-gritty of the “diet".
The first thing I would mention to them, though, is a question: Why do you eat? This is a simple question, but so much more pertinent than the questions that most “diets” ask like: What do you eat? When do you eat? etc. The true crux of this question is not why HUMANS eat, but why do YOU eat? If you are anything like me, then an honest answer to this question might look something like this: ”I eat for taste, for emotional release, and simply because I am hungry. “ If you or someone you care about finds yourself in this mindset I then ask you, “Why does your body get hungry? Why does your body eat?”
Our society seems to have fallen into a trap of treating the body like a shell, an exterior that identifies us and nothing more. We are programmed to see our bodies as pretty or ugly, skinny or fat, young or old- all subjective terms that really have no merit. In actuality, our bodies serve a much greater purpose that has little or nothing to do with how it looks.
Our bodies are first and foremost vehicles for navigating this earth. In yoga and many other traditions, we understand ourselves as spiritual beings having a natural experience. In this understanding, it is the body that makes material life on this earth possible. Without this body, you would not be human, you could not be here as Joe, as Maria, as Bebhinn. Your body is not what makes you pretty or ugly; it is what makes your life possible. With this, just like any other vehicle, our bodies require maintenance and care in order to run efficiently.
Then digging deeper than how you perceive your body, is how you perceive yourself. Do you understand that you are necessary? Do you understand that you, in this form, are here for a purpose? That the earth needs you, that other people need you, that you are support and life-giver for so many other processes on this earth. You have work to do! YOU are integral. This digging is specifically for people who look at themselves, whether it be their body, their personality, or their being in general, and always find faults.
In understanding that you have work to do that is very important and that you have very limited time to do it in, recognizing the importance of a healthy body becomes pivotal. In the grand scheme of life, it will not matter whether you were “thin” or “fat”, it will not matter if your muscles are “big” or “small”, what WILL matter is how much work you can do for the world that supports your life. And in living out your extremely vital purpose, you will find that everything is more difficult to accomplish with an unhealthy body.
Think about it. When your body is sick, how productive are you? And I’m not necessarily talking about productivity at your job, but in all of your life’s experiences. When your body is weak, heavy, or sluggish- are you able to give your all to your family? Are you able to extend your compassion and strengths to those who may need it? Are you fully present and active in your life and the lives of others? In general, we find that the more your body suffers, the more your work suffers.
So then, where does DIET come to play? The key to diet is that food fuels your body. Our bodies eat for nutrients. Food gives energy, it gives life. Its purpose is cultural, it is nourishing, and it is VITAL to your life. If you recognize that your life is valuable, then you recognize that your body is irreplaceable and must be taken care of. We take care of our bodies through eating pure, clean food and remaining active (not to mention supporting mental and emotional health as well!).
In the following post, I will share with you some resources that I found very helpful in dropping my unhealthy relationship with food to appreciating it as the nutrients that help me to fight cancer, clear my mind, and detoxify my life. If you suffer from low self-esteem and cannot seem to find a “diet” that works for your body, I encourage you to try these resources. Dieting is turned on its head, and eating pure food for the purpose of living a vibrant life is adopted.
No more grimacing at bland, lack-luster food. We learn to embrace the rainbow of colors found in food grown from the earth to nourish your body and your life. It is so liberating.
I wish you peace of mind and a wealth of health for your body!
Namaste.
Bebhinn
