Overcoming Nutrition Confusion

“The simple act of listening to your body, trusting its wisdom and honouring its needs is the first step to finding your natural weight, energy and health.” MARC DAVID

Navigating nutrition can be so confusing. Hell, navigating LIFE! is confusing enough. So many mixed messages from experts, social media, you name it; and everyone out there has an opinion on what’s the “right” things to eat and the “right” way to eat it.

Food confusion probably started for me when I began to study nutrition. Prior to this I had ZERO idea about food - I ate hotdogs for breakfast (microwaved to melt cheese on them - GAG!) and fried up processed meat to eat with eggs on the weekends. It wasn’t all bad, my mum made a concerted effort to feed us a variety of homemade meals cooked with love (and vegetables!) and at one point even changed our main meal to breakfast (yep, roast for breakfast and cereal for dinner) under the advice of the time that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. We were all just doing our best with what we knew and what we were being told by the “experts”. When I moved out of home I existed on homemade granola (thanks mum), eggs on toast with weight watchers honey mustard sauce and alot of cabonara from the italian joint down the road. Oh, and lots of vodka. When I think back over this, it’s actually kinda gross, however, I didn’t know any bettter so how could I have made better choices? Then I learned about nutrition!

While studying about the nutritional value of foods and learning about food as medicine I changed my diet dramatically; and I reaped a heap of benefits from this including regulating my bowel movements and pretty much eliminating my period pain. My diet wasn’t “perfect” but it was better. However, the other side to this knowledge was a constant feeling of being on edge of “Am I eating the right thing?” Also feelings of superiority of buying expensive health food store items thinking I was make excellent choices for myself (“look at me buying expensive vegan ice-creams!” so lame). The reality really is that most food in a health food store is just that - slightly cleaner or organic versions of processed food. No one really needs $12 mung bean pasta with 40g of protein. It’s a gimmick. So it isn’t just the supermarkets that have us fooled to buy their packaged crap, it’s happening in places where you think and feel you’re making better choices for yourself and your family - but are we really?? How do we discern what is the best choice for us - low fat, low sugar, high fat low carb, no carb, keto, paleo, fast food, whole food, clean eating… how is anyone supposed to know what to do?

I don’t think there is one right answer. Everyone is so different there couldn’t possibly be one right way for everyone that would work. Also there are so many factors that go into us and our daily lives it’s only one stream of what we have to deal with when it comes to eating healthy.

“Are you having trouble choosing the nutritional system that’s right for you? Here’s a suggestion - toss out every dietary approach you’ve ever heard of and listen to the best deitary expert on the planet - YOU.” MARC DAVID

I know of people who have eaten 100% organic and still ended up with fatal diseases. It’s not that black and white to think that eating healthy will protect you because it won’t, not fully anyway. Yes, of course, making choices to eat whole foods that are high qaulity is the best choice for the growth, repair and maintenance of your physical body, but it’s not the be all and end all answer to good health. We are multidimensional beings that need to consider who we are emotionally, mentally and energetically as well. We need to look at what else goes into our systems - including thoughts, beliefs, environmental factors and the energy with which we make choices for ourselves - are we choosing foods, or making other choices in our lives, from a place of joy, curiosity, love for ourselves? or from shame, guilt or self-loathing. I know that I have done and still do make choices from a combination of these places on any given day. This is mostly because I’m a human in a world that can be super confusing at times and I’m still learning what works for me and my family; and accepting that the needs and requirements of each of us will change over time as we move through the various stages of life.

You’ve just got to do your best with where you are, what you have and what you know, and then create awareness around things that aren’t (or are) working for you. From this place of curioisty and self-compassion you can then use that awareness to change things that aren’t working or don’t feel good or to keep doing the things that work. Sometimes we don’t have the energy and that’s ok. Sometimes it’s all too much andthat’s ok too, as long as you don’t stay stuck there punishing yourself. And if you are stuck then use that information to guide you to your next step. Treat yourself with kindness and use the time for self reflection:

• What would I choose/do differently if I had the time/energy/knowledge?

• What do I want to learn right now?

• What is working for me? What isn’t?

• How do I want to feel better within myself?

• How does choosing this [food, thought, job, etc] make me feel - physically, emotionally or otherwise?

  
  

And just reflect on the answers. You don’t need to act straight away. Wait till your energy comes back around or an answer rises up within you (this is your inner wisdom speaking and it knows you like no one else) and then make a move. Experiment, learn and take note of what happens and then you can make empowered choices that support your health on all levels. And you want to know the best part? It’s ALL your choice. Don’t give your power away to me and what I have to say, or to food companies or supermarkets or any of the experts. The only thing you really need to do is become an expert in YOU and what works for your body and your way of life that leaves you feeling healthy and empowered. Read, learn and then keep the information that serves you and dump the rest. Question everything, even the science because at the end of the day no one really 100% knows what the answer is. Practice trusting yourself and your instincts and make the best choices you can in the moment you’re in - and hopefully you can make them good ones that bring you joy and contentment.

Curious for more? Here are some articles that you may find interesting:

• Food Confusion Article from Stanford University written by Nathaneal Johnson

• Food Anxiety: How to stop worrying and obsessing over food written by Marc David

• The 3 Levels of Diet written by Marc David

• Are you Suffering from a High Nutirtional Fact Diet? written by Marc David

• Are your thoughts impacting the nutritional value of your meal? written by Marc David

Finally, If you're looking for support from someone who combines whole-body care with practical guidance, you’re welcome to reach out here.