Let’s Make a List!
On a blank sheet of paper, write down all your rules about food.
You know the ones. The ones that stress you out.
Use short, simple sentences.
Here’s a Short Version of My List
Nightshades should be avoided.
Mushrooms are not good for the mind.
Garlic is bad because it is antibiotic.
Winter squashes clog the channels.
Eating standing up is bad for digestion.
Milk should not be homogenized.
I Actually Got These from My Doctor
And I have found these and other rules about food to be very helpful for my health. So learning rules is great.
But the problem comes when you make absolutes out of simple guidelines. That’s when things get stressful. That’s when fanaticism kicks in, which usually leads to bingeing and purging in some form or another.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
For Example, I’m Traveling Right Now
And while I generally like to follow my doctor’s advice not to have nightshades (tomato, potato, eggplant, bell pepper), on Sunday night I had a full plate of tomato spaghetti with big chunks of garlic floating in it. It was served to me by my family when I arrived. And I received it with an open heart.
Sure, I picked over the garlic chunks, but I enjoyed it without stress because I had already questioned my food rules. In fact, I was happy that garlic was included. I was getting over a cold, and its antibiotic property may have even helped me.
How to Avoid Black and White Thinking
If you don’t question your food rules, then you can become a victim of black and white thinking. You can find yourself in uncomfortable situations where you won’t eat something that is served, or where you want something that you cannot have.
It’s no fun to be a perfectionist about food because you can’t always control what is available.
Questioning your food rules can add a sprinkle of flexibility to your life. I invite you to do it now, and tell me what you learn. It certainly has helped me be less of a health food fanatic.
My Favorite Turnaround
Here’s my favorite turnaround:
Every food without exception has some calories in it. Even if you have reasons not to like it, you could easily survive on it for quite a while!
Have a great week,
Todd
“When we try to be safe, we live our lives being very, very careful; and we wind up having no lives. I like to say, ‘Don’t be careful; you could hurt yourself.'” — Byron Katie, Question Your Thinking, Change the World
