Choosing Innocence
When it comes to food and health, we are constantly bombarded
with information that restricts our choices. Too much sugar, too much fat, too many carbohydrates, not enough protein,
more fiber. Whatever we are eating, we are inevitably offending some dietary guru. And then there's the guilt...
And, while constantly changing the rules of the game, these
experts seem to be saying that we must read an array of books, memorize a series of charts, and follow a host of
scientific studies to find the best diet. One diet offers immortality, another guarantees a healthy heart, still
another protects against cancer. One is better for the environment, another diet prevents hyperactivity, another
is good for the prostate, one elevates moods, and, perhaps, most intriguing, there's one that heightens sex drive.
What is the answer, then? If none of the experts can agree on
a perfect diet, how can we find a sane path through the nutritional mire? Is it possible to find the diet that
is right for you? Yes, I believe it is.
No, I am not here to add yet one more diet to the heap. What
I have to say is this: Listen to the messages that come from your body alone. You are a unique individual with
specific needs, and you have direct access to your own bodily wisdom. Trust that you are the source of the highest
wisdom when it comes to your body. Some call it intuition or inspiration. Yet, whatever name we call it, it comes
through in that still small voice we hear when we take time to get quiet.
When we take back responsibility for making choices, there is
no need to look outside of ourselves for a sense of well-being. This is not about choosing a dietary plan. And,
I am not referring to the idea that we should impose rigorous dietary routines on ourselves. I am talking about
staying in touch with the process called living. That means remaining flexible and open to change, for that is
really what living implies. And that may mean that today you choose to be a vegetarian and tomorrow you'll subsist
happily on chocolate.
Can we accept that kind of simplicity in our lives? Can we move
from day to day trusting our bodies to guide us to the foods we need? Can we remove judgment from the act of nourishing
ourselves? This is not something we hear much about, for we are talking about loving our bodies in a deep and thoughtful
way. This is a philosophy that assumes we are innocent--not guilty. You will notice that as you give your body
what it wants, without guilt, without criticism, that a natural balance is restored. Try it for a day, then a week.
Listen to the signals when you hear your body quietly tell you to put down your fork or to fill up on oranges.
The rewards are remarkable.
The freedom that comes with being able to choose what you eat
rather than following some external source of dietary guidance is vast. Choice implies responsibility. When you
take responsibility for what you do to your body, you are making contact with a source of true power that no one---not
even a dietary expert--can diminish or destroy. And, remarkably, you will suddenly find that no matter what you
eat, you are not guilty.
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