I eat some of the most amazing food in the world, and I cook it all myself. This is something I would never have said let alone claimed, even just a few years ago. My delicious diet is forever getting yummier and yummier and so much easier, simpler and more fun to make. In fact, I made a meal this morning; it was super delicious food to eat and super yummy in the body. My food is nothing special, anyone can make it. Yet my diet is free of dairy, wheat (and other similar grains), alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, sugar, excessive salts, yeast and many other things considered ‘normal’ to eat. When I present the simplicity and yumminess of my food, people often find it hard to understand that my diet is free of almost everything (not quite, though 🙂 ) that you can buy at the supermarket. In fact, I often skip whole aisles at the supermarket because almost everything in that aisle has something in it I choose not to eat! It’s not the fact that my food is so super yummy that people find hard to grasp. Nope, it is the fact that I can make soups, curries, dips, crackers, pancakes, smoothies, roasts, salads and lots of other things from an ever expanding range of foods I cook.
FAQ’s ABOUT MY SUPER DELICIOUS DIET AND MY CHOICE TO EAT DAIRY AND GLUTEN FREE
When I have been asked what’s in my diet, what it is that I eat and why I eat the things I do choose to eat, I have often said, “Well, because I am dairy and gluten free”. I came to realise the other day that I have been using this as a way of ‘freeing’ (pun intended) myself from the responsibility of presenting the real reason I choose to eat the things I do. Most people who are ‘gluten and dairy free’ don’t actually want to be gluten and dairy free. Most of the people I talk to that are, hate it and think it is a curse. Many actually want to be eating gluten and dairy as part of their diet, when their body is clearly telling them that it is not OK for it when they do so.
As a society we tend to class people in a separate category, like in the ‘gluten and dairy free’ box, if they exhibit extreme signs of a condition as a result of being intolerant to gluten or dairy. We often don’t connect with the reality that maybe our bodies do signal to us the signs of gluten or dairy intolerance on a much less extreme scale.
For instance, in my experience gluten and dairy dulls the body. It makes me heavy, bloated and leaves me feeling very lethargic and not very vivacious. Not to mention the fact that for me now, food containing gluten and dairy just doesn’t seem to have the same yumminess as food I have come to make that doesn’t contain it at all. So by choice I do not have gluten and dairy in my diet. Simple. I could class myself as ‘gluten and dairy free’, but in truth a more correct way for me would be to say “My diet is free of dairy and gluten”, as it recognises the fact that my diet is based on a choice to eat foods I feel honour and support me and my body as I work throughout my day… resulting in a very simple yummy and delicious diet! My diet is so super yummy, not only because the food actually tastes so super good, but also because the food is what my body actually needs to support it throughout the entire day.
In my experience, dairy and gluten (not to mention the other things my diet is now free of, like alcohol), inhibits the body and its natural flow during the day. It does not support it but rather abuses and harms it.
Want proof of this? Well, have a pie, or cake or huge slab of chocolate. Enjoy the taste, sure. But feel the body afterwards. Actually stop and feel it. Be honest…
- Does your body feel racy?
- Does it feel heavy or bloated?
- Do you feel alive and ready to work?
- Do you feel that chocolate bar that was so super deliciously yummy supports your body going through the day?
Some people have asked me if I ever get tempted to have a treat day and binge out on those ‘bad foods’ I used to have, like chocolate. My answer: “Nope, never”. The reason: because my food now is so super yummy that there would be no reason to! And after all, why on earth would I ever go back to wanting to feel bloated, heavy, lethargic, slow, unproductive, abusive (to the body) and all the other symptoms I – and many others – get from eating foods that are clearly harmful to the body, let alone lacking in what the body truly needs to support it in its activity? How do I make my delicious diet of super scrumptious, delicious and divinely yummilicious food?… Not from a cook book per se, but from listening to my body. It’s that simple. Forever inspired by the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. By Josh Campbell, 20, University Student, NZ
401 Comments
I am listening to my body too Gill and I can tell that around 2:30 pm I start to crave sugar and I look at my watch and see the time it’s like an alarm going off. It’s around this time that most people start to crave sugar I heard it is something to do with our circadian rhythms it’s a low point in the afternoon. In the past I would have felt the cravings and had a cup of tea and a few biscuits or something with sugar to give me a spike of energy. Now I know what is occurring I do not fall for the temptation.
Thank you for this blog as it is written as an honouring to your body and how amazing it is when it is not feeling bloated or lethargic. We often eat without any thought to how our bodies will feel in fact I can honestly say I never stopped to consider the effects food would have on my body I just ate or drank because I could. I never stopped to consider the effects over indulging in alcohol had on my body. I knew I felt dreadful the next day suffering with a hangover but it didn’t stop me from doing the same thing again. Looking back I was so checked out of my body I was allowing another energy to run it one that had no consideration or compassion for me. It is a great lesson not to check out because I had no say in what was checking in!
Most of the time when people ask me why I tend to resort to saying “I get violent diarrhea” and the intention is to kill the conversation then and there and it does work. However, reading this has got me questioning this. Do I have to kill the conversation or can I just claim that I make different choices and be cool with that…
I love going into a supermarket and knowing that most things in there I would not eat, I head straight for the fresh fruit and veg – life is actually so more simple when we take away that which is not required.
The more aware we are of the effect different food has on our body the greater the awareness of the effect of the preparation, cooking and how and when we eat.
Love how you celebrate that not only is your diet free of gluten and dairy but you are free of the desire to consume these substances that have a negative impact on your body and instead enjoy your ‘diet of super scrumptious, delicious and divinely yummilicious food’.
Beautiful blog Joshua, I too have been listening to my body more and more. It is super sensitive and when it comes to food, I can feel tired if I eat too much yummy food, eat something salty, sweet or fried foods. It really is very simple, when we listen to our body it will guide us to eating in a way that deeply nurtures our body.
This is a work in progress for me. Yes I am also gluten/dairy free but I also find ways to eat food that leaves me bloated and dull. Some days I eat to nourish and other times I eat to numb. I know my body loves the nourish over the numb and I am working through the reasons why I choose to numb at times.
Most people would say for the best foods they have to go to a restaurant and eat out but, as you shared too, I do love the food I pepare and think it is my favourite! And it is all very simple without a recipe just from what feels true to eat that day.
I love your opening line and it made me reflect and appreciate how much more I honor myself through how I eat and how amazing I feel as a result. I have always been conscious of what I ate and how I felt to a degree but then I would knowingly override it and indulge in foods that made me feel unwell, persevering all the same. The more I began to honor my body and was honest with what I was feeling the less I wanted to pollute it and my diet and how I choose to nourish my body naturally changed to be one that supports me more to feel and live with far greater vitality consistently.
I agree with what you have shared Carola by wanting to honour what my body is telling me the tendency to eat foods that I now know will upset it’s natural rhythm is less and less. Its because the feeling I have in my body is so utterly gorgeous that there is no way I want to disturb it.
What I am experiencing more and more is that it is not only the food I eat that determines how I feel afterwards, but how much is influenced by how the food is prepared and what the conversation is during eating.
The more love and attention there were there during cooking, the better it tastes and the easier my body digests it.
Fascinating Monika, that how you feel when you have eaten is determined by so much more than just the food you ate. Im sure its highly likely that even the way we shop for our food has an impact as well. Great to be aware of all these other factors, and not blame it all on the food that we ate when we dont feel so good after we ate it.
‘Most people who are ‘gluten and dairy free’ don’t actually want to be gluten and dairy free. Most of the people I talk to that are, hate it and think it is a curse. Many actually want to be eating gluten and dairy as part of their diet, when their body is clearly telling them that it is not OK for it when they do so.’
So true, almost all the people I have met hate their diet, whereas when choosing to not eat certain foods because they don’t go down well in your body it is actually very empowering and not a curse at all.
A wise woman once said: eat light to be light. In the beginning they were just words to me, but now I can clearly feel what foods are heavy for my body and make me dragged, move differently with less bounce in my step and think more complicated.
Feeding ourselves nutritious healthy foods that honours our individual body’s needs makes so much sense, ‘My diet is so super yummy, not only because the food actually tastes so super good, but also because the food is what my body actually needs to support it throughout the entire day.’
Simple foods and a simple diet serves our bodies ability to heal its-self.
I agree Joshua, if people hear I am on a gluten free and dairy free diet they often feel pity or the need to commiserate, but I don’t feel I’m missing out on foods, because I’m not missing the awful symptoms both gluten and dairy gave my body.
I love the foods I eat, they are real, alive, not processed, or from a packet, ‘How do I make my delicious diet of super scrumptious, delicious and divinely yummilicious food?… Not from a cook book per se, but from listening to my body. It’s that simple.’
Our relationship with food as a civilisation has certainly veered very much away from being that which nourishes and refuels our body in order to be able to move with greater vitality, to that which seems to be focused on rewards, entertainment and escaping with flavours taking over from nutritional value and the impact of what we are consuming has on our body and being. Our bodies are an incredible vehicle that offer us the opportunity to live in connection to an awareness or intelligence that is ‘out of this world’ divine, and when this had been tangibly glimpsed we realise that the only thing that we are missing out on is living in connection to more of that awareness.
The more we nourish the body with food that is loving and supportive the more the body speaks volumes of the vitality we can live. Our choices are given in each moment to feel and fuel what is asked.
It is not rocket science but the simple science of feeling the body with what brings more Love to all we do.
There is eating for reward and then there is eating for the sustenance and nutrients that the body needs. And personally I find that eating for reward is satisfying at the beginning, but always leaves me feeling yuck at the end, which isn’t really much of a reward after all….
I agree – I never thought that I would be involved most days in the cooking of our food either but it is actually worth it.
What I find is that it is not just about what you eat but the quality that it is prepared in. Often now when I go out to restaurants rarely does it measure up to the quality of food that I eat at home. I used to be a serial fast fooder and my weight and health paid the consequences for those choices, now I love cooking and preparing food in a way that I know I love.
I agree – the hardest part of preparing really nice food in a supportive way is not to each too much of it.
Listening to ones body that will say it is full is more Loving than eating yuummmmy and nice foods. Hm I most take this onboard!
I am holidaying in Vietnam with my husband at the moment and the locals are amazed by the simple way we eat. Eliminating food from ones diet does not equal restriction, it actually opens up a world of true freedom.
Thank you Joshua, what a gorgeous blog – so real, raw, honest and straightforward. We need to approach our lives and choices with more honesty and see what it is we are actually feeding? Are we truly feeding the body in its purpose or are we entertaining the need of our greedy neediness of our spirit?
Love the way you back yourself Joshua. True yummy food is not the party-in-the-mouth that we think it is, but eating just what your body needs. Then the yummyness spreads so it’s not just in the food but in yummy you.
When we start feeling the effects certain things have on our body and remove them from our diet and cut out things like salt and sugar it is quite amazing how simple foods start tasting pretty amazing. I was just munching on some lettuce a while back and couldn’t believe how sweet it tasted whereas in the past I would only eat lettuce swimming in mayo.
Perhaps there is also a deeper reason why many people don’t eat gluten, dairy and don’t drink alcohol. Because their body feels yummy ALREADY and things like alcohol take that feeling away.
When someone appears challenged by my dietary choices I quite often subsequently learn that they are ignoring the messages from their own bodies about one or more of the substances I no longer choose to eat so they do not want to be reminded of this and can react negatively because of this.
My diet is also free of many ingredients that so many seem to feel are essential to the enjoyment of consuming food but what it definitely now includes is the choice to take care of my body and all it communicates with me.
I have also left behind all things that do not support my body. If something should slip in, the body wastes no time to inform me of its presence. In the past, the signals were always there but had been overridden and ignored.
When present with our essence it is remarkable how much our bodies are informing us of what foods are supportive.
It’s not that one can skip whole aisles in the supermarket, it is that one can actually skip along those aisles 🙂
Supermarkets are good for exercise if raining and you want to go for a walk. Nowadays the farmers market is the right size and has almost everything we require.
What a great way to start the day with your explanation of yummy food and I agree a diet free of gluten, dairy, sugar, salt, alcohol and caffeine definitely does all the things you have shared and may I add that it allows me to work to be of service to others. Making the way of eating not just to serve my body but also to humbly share there is a different way and that it can be as simple as you have shared Josh.
Having lived for many years abusing my body with the food I was eating I now, like you Josh, choose to nurture and nourish it instead, and boy is this new level of love and care worth it. These days the experience of having a few seconds of taste pleasure in my mouth is definitely not worth the day or two of misery in my body that will inevitably follow if I eat something that it cannot deal with. Living in harmony with my body is the foundation for living in harmony in my life.
Thank you Josh, eating and living in a way that supports our body is a very joyful way to live. I have found listening to the body and respecting its signals for what is or is not good for it has helped my health and wellbeing, which means not wanting or needing foods that are harmful but might give me a lift, buzz or comfort temporarily. Particularly taking care of my sleep pattern and reducing causes of exhaustion, as well as healing emotional hurts and trauma with the Universal Medicine Therapies has changed my relationship with food.
It has become normal to think it is normal to feel like sleeping after a big meal or not being able to do much afterwards but what if this is actually a sign from our bodies that says this food is not for me? There are foods out there that we can eat and feel nourished by without the heaviness and sleepiness afterwards so why not choose those?
I can’t get over how good a plain lettuce leaf can taste these days, I used to have to smother lettuce in mayo to be able to eat it but the more we remove things like salt and sugar and simplify cooking the more we can appreciate the natural taste of foods.
I’m the same Joshua free from ALL those harming foods and substances. There is no way I could have done this without the esoteric modalities – they bring a state of harmony back to the body that I don’t want to disrupt and only confirm with super-delicious food that I cook daily. Boyaa ! Universal Medicine!
Having a diet that suits your body exactly is a very precious thing because this is supportive not only for the digestive system but also for one’s confidence too.
Most importantly eating great and healthy food FEELS amazing, for me food is a question of how I want to feel – do I want to feel amazing or do I want to eat whatever I want?
While I have been gluten and dairy free for years I have struggled with sugar. I have used this as a ‘pick me up’ but in truth it leaves me feeling more irrational, exhausted and struggling to get through the day. Recently I have taken all sugar out of my diet and it has been intense- the withdrawals, dizziness, cravings, moods- its all coming up as I detox myself off of this, well you could say- drug.
Our body communicates to us loud and clear what it is feeling in any given moment we choose to listen to it – so why do we all too often choose to ignore what it is exactly telling us?
Eating without gluten or dairy is for me such normal way of life that I don’t call it a diet but a way of living. I eat different things, and consider feeling vital as my normal.
I love being gluten and dairy free, the way I feel in my body after eating and my ability to cope with the day and with whatever is in front of me is way more important than the taste in my mouth and the adverse effects many great tasting foods have on our body for days, if not weeks afterwards.
When people hear me say I am gluten, diary, sugar, salt, alcohol etc free diet – their response is often -‘what do you eat then?’
Even the word ‘diet’ alone makes them go into reaction of it having restrictions and fear of missing out on foods. There is this expectation that I have severe bodily reactions for me to exclude these items in my eating style but there is no comprehension that the tell tale signs are always there – its a matter of choice whether we listen or not.
And when you mentioned you ‘skip’ whole aisles – it is something I often do. Many of the packaged foods have hidden ingredients unless you are a vigilant shopper and literally read every packaging whilst you shop.
Like you I prefer the simple fresher foods and add my quality to it – I know what’s in it and what I am serving my body.
Yes, I too have observed the same reaction in people when I say I don’t eat some so common foods like gluten and dairy. In the beginning I reacted too by contracting and hiding myself for me to not being asked about my diet, but this wasn’t the solution. Now I honour my food choices and if someone asks me, I naturally express the reasons. The reactions usually remain, but I realise that there is a reason for that. Some people feel exposed with their careless choices and this makes them feel uncomfortable. Some people have never questioned their diet and this opens up a new option for them. Some people have the opportunity of discovering a different approach that may enrich their growing healthy food choices… In any case, I love living this naturally now, respecting myself as I do so to others, knowing that what I live and share makes a difference not only in my life.
What we don’t realise is food can also affect the connection to our being (our essence), but once we live separated from our essence then food can become a comfort we strongly hold onto – the thought of living without certain foods and drinks can feel awful. But the truth is once we can reconnect to our essence, to the true self within, the joy of that cannot be matched by any outer experience, and eating to love our body and remain in connection to ourselves is part of living that joy. We truly deeply miss ourselves and letting go of harmful foods is no big deal when we consider the bigger picture of the misery that comes from having let go of our true selves.
True – eating without using gluten, dairy, salt or sugar, etc. is super yummy and I am forever amazed how much choice there actually is and how many different ways I can come up with to put things together differently.
What disappears, over time and this is a learning process, is the identification with food as ‘culture’ and I get to feel more that it is nothing but a very dense consciousness, trying to tell us, mainly, that whatever sells, is also good for us. And that is, when listening to the body and checking out the supermarket aisles, very far from the truth.
I love food and cooking and I never thought I would say that. Since I have changed to a GF, DF, Sugar Free, caffeine and alcohol free diet, something amazing has changed within me. The simpler my diet the more I love and celebrate the gorgeous natural colour, flavours and appreciation cooking brings me
The belief that healthy and nutritious food doesn’t taste as good is a million miles from the truth – I would go as far as to say it actually tastes better, the rumour that to eat foods that actually support our body do not taste as good is simply a great excuse that we use to not make the right choices.
Great article Josh on loving your body in respect to your daily food choices. the body knows what supports and nourishes it, we will know if we choose to listen and choose foods that give us vitality and what foods deplete us of energy, for me gluten and dairy are definitely out.
What a beautiful and loving testimony to the dietary choices you make Joshua; very inspirational, thank you.
Initially it can seem very daunting to consider letting go of the accepted ‘normal’ foods containing gluten, dairy sugar etc. or how such food can ever be delicious. However, with perseverance and truly acknowledging how one’s body feels rather than the taste it then becomes a ‘no-brainer’, as you describe Joshua. My diet has now become so simple yet it is so full of flavour and I feel revitalised and nourished from it.
When we start to reconnect with who we truly are, we naturally develop a more intimate relationship with food that supports our bodies and reflects the lightness, simplicity, and yumminess within ourselves.
Another key factor in no longer desiring particular foods (that once were craved for, absolutely…), is the healing of what was underlying the need for a ‘pick up’ or ‘reward’ in my day. Sacred Esoteric Healing has immensely supported my body to let go of that which had me feeling emotionally up and down in life, and lacking in vitality – and seeking ‘pick ups’ to keep me going and/or try to engender a change of mood.
For the better part, we are undoubtedly brought up to think of such choices as ‘normal’ – but are they really? When that chocolate bar and/or double shot of coffee will actually leave us more depleted than prior to having it, once the immediate rush tapers off…
You’ve highlighted such an important distinction in regards to our dietary choices here Josh – and that’s actually that many make the ‘gluten & dairy free’ choice in and by a choice of deep respect and honouring of oneself and one’s body.
It can be hard for some to grasp… but I also feel not one iota of restriction in regards to having removed these things from my diet. In fact, you could put the most delectable (to most) dark chocolate tart under my nose today and nothing in me wants or desires it whatsoever!
Reflecting back on how I used to be, this is truly astounding in many ways… And yet, I ‘get it’ – having confirmed what does support my body and the clarity and indeed joy I feel within through such choices over time, the old wants and desires have dropped away… How amazing it is, that our bodies can lead the way, and that there can be not one drop of feeling I am abstaining or being limited in any way whatsoever.
Me too, I eat less and less food and less and less ingredients and have more and more energy and enjoy what I do eat more and more. We have been fed (pun intended) a lot of lies about food and it is causing a lot of harm.
Ha, ha Nicola, I love your sense of humour. I also agree, we have been fed a lot of lies about food in society but when we listen to our body it is very difficult to be lied to because our body will let us know when something doesn’t sit well.
I agree Josh, when chosen to be gluten, dairy, etc free the meals that I now prepare are so much more delicious and the choice of ingredients has expanded and I have so much more fun in the kitchen preparing meals with love and care.
What is interesting is that people do feel that bloated discomfort, and yet to go back to the very thing that has caused the disturbance… Surely we can see beneath the surface eventually and see the deeply addictive nature of what is going on in so many lives and in so many societies
Thank you for this playful celebration of the freedom that is there to be embraced when we choose to listen to our bodies and stop eating foods that do not support it – here’s to ‘divinely yummilicious food’ and the fun that it is to create delicious meals that truly support our bodies throughout the day.
The point you make about missing a number of aisles at the supermarket is interesting. When we look at most aisles in a supermarket, they are actually full of foods that do not support and nourish the human body. Of the food aisles- most are filled with highly processed foods that are high in sugar, salt and other ingredients that we know simply do not support our bodies. Yet the fact that our shopping aisles are full of these foods shows that this is what we are asking for- a diet to numb and dull us from the intensity of the world. If consumers actually wanted a diet to nourish us our supermarkets would look very different as the call for what is supplied would not be the foods we see packed on our shelves currently.
The refinement in eating food goes on and on, since I have let go of gluten. Gluten in general classified by many organizations as not healthy makes you go more in your head, so that you won’t feel what your body is telling you. Since I have let go of gluten my body is speaking to me more and more, clearly indicating what it likes and doesn’t like.
It can be very hard to grasp for people that people like you and me Josh would actually let go off the ‘goodies’ in food like cake, chocolate and bread not because they get really sick but because of their own choice. More honest would be that these kind of foods make everybody sick on a less severe scale, but most of us tend to totally ignore these signals coming from the body. The body, our best friend, which only gives messages that support us. If we are willing to listen.
Hi Josh, with an article like this you sure take the ‘heaviness’ away of eating no gluten, dairy and many other things your body, and probably most bodies don’t like. Food should be there to nourish us first, and then, secondly it has to taste good, be very yummy as well. I love to have you over as an in-house-cook, because just by reading your article I am convinced that you can prepare a very delicious and nutritious meal for me. You are invited.
‘Food should be there to nourish us first, and then, secondly it has to taste good, be very yummy as well’ Before buying, preparing or snacking on food we can ask ourselves if this food is nourishing for us and let our bodies tell us before going ahead, ( choosing and thus eating from our head,) . By honouring ourselves in this way we soon get to see how honest we are being about our food choices..
I have found that the tastes that I used to enjoy, like sweet or salty things, I actually find to be really overpowering now that I have simplified what I eat. I realise now that I had dulled a lot of my sense of taste and was not aware of what my food actually tasted like. Now, my taste feels very sensitive to the nuances of food, not just seeking to be overrun by massive tastes.
When we do listen to our body, it is like the ultimate gourmet cookbook… Just waiting there with the most amazing recipes for us to attend to, listened to, prepare and then totally nurture ourselves with.
My diet is similar to yours no dairy, gluten, wheat/grains, alcohol, caffeine or sugar. When you take these things out (I did this not all at once but slowly) you start to get more creative with food. I have still loads to learn with this and do not always feel I am in listening to what my body needs or wants that supports it but I have never felt so clear and strong within my body as I do now. So yep totally agree, and feel that we all know this but don’t want to admit it, how food and drink can either support our bodies or not.
Josh it’s great to come back to your blog and feel the inspiration it gives. I have really refined my diet over the last year, and it’s now so obvious if I eat anything that has gluten, I can feel the tiredness and bloated straight away. Just with dairy too it goes to my sinus and headache. It’s so clear from the body that it does not like the food. If I continue to indulge then the full blown symptoms come on.
I love it Joshua, listening and honouring our body’s wisdom, and the simplicity this brings.
I really appreciate what you offer here in the different expression: Choosing to eat a diet free of gluten and dairy.
It’s simpler, lighter and very clear just like it feels when eating food free of these items.
When we feel what food is doing in our body and listen it is indeed super simple. We know what to eat. There is so much research about what the body needs and people are following diets or advice from so called experts that we forget that we can feel what we need, but this requires an honesty and taking the responsibility for what we put in, in this amazing vehicle.
Since taking gluten and diary out of my diet the variety of different foods I have started to eat has increased tenfold, it’s funny that taking out two food types and listening to my body could have such a huge impact on what I eat.
‘Not to mention the fact that for me now, food containing gluten and dairy just doesn’t seem to have the same yumminess as food I have come to make that doesn’t contain it at all.’ I’ve been eating gluten and dairy free food for such a long time now and like you Josh my cooking and ever expanding menu is just getting more delicious that when I read the sentence above I realised that the idea of eating a pastry or bowl of pasta is completely unappealing as my alternatives are far more delicious and leave me feeling light and invigorated rather than clogged and heavy.
What stood out for me reading this blog again was that as you mentioned many people see being gluten or dairy intolerant as a curse, but their bodies are simply saying that by eating these substances it is an abuse to the body. Alcohol is no different, there can be this perception that we are lesser if we choose to not join in in an activity that is well documented as poisoning our bodies and contributing to many forms of domestic and social unrest and violence.
We perceive that we will be worse off or we are less when we are not enjoining various forms of self-abuse. On one level it totally doesn’t make sense and yet we still do it…To which then I ask myself – are their forms of self-abuse in my life that I feel I would be lesser or worse off or somehow disconnected from others if I loved myself more?
Now that’s what I call a true food enthusiast Joshua… your delight in truly nourishing yourself, not only by food that supports your body, but also by the love of preparing it for yourself too. We eat for so many reasons though, and hence we think we like those foods that in truth, do nothing to really support us.
Why we eat what we do and food in general is a huge area to discuss. We seem as a society to have left behind the concept of food as nourishment, and food is now for reward, consolation, comfort, celebration, entertainment, stimulation, distraction, self punishment, indulgence……the list goes on! Taking it back to what simply works for the body cuts through all the complications we’ve built into eating, and restores it to its true purpose.
I love the concept of listening to your body for it never leads you astray and the reality of your choices cannot but be felt and therefore cannot be denied.
I have noticed that I have fallen for the trap of if it’s healthy than it mustn’t taste as good. I have had to change my diet due to health reasons and found the transition quite difficult as I have always put taste over how I felt after each meal. Thank you Joshua Campbell for highlighting the quality you felt and how that supported you throughout your day. There is definitely a responsibility in making this shift and realising that it all comes back to how the body speaks to us, and our willingness to listen.
Great article Josh. When we choose not to eat certain foods because of the effect we feel in our body we are not denying ourselves anything but nourishing our body and this increases our awareness of everything.
What a beautiful article on food and our ever changing relationship with what and how we eat. Phrasing the way you eat as “I am free of gluten and dairy” feels very free of thinking this is a limitation or restriction to what is eaten.
I agree Joshua it really is very simple, cutting out dairy and gluten and sugar from my diet was easy and gave me so much energy and vitality it was like an instant detox.
This is gorgeous Joshua – I have found myself saying I am GF, DF and SF but realised recently my diet is not about being “free” of these things, it is about eating what makes me feel light, vital, nurtured and loved. I really appreciated your comment – ‘I could class myself as ‘gluten and dairy free’, but in truth a more correct way for me would be to say “My diet is free of dairy and gluten”, as it recognises the fact that my diet is based on a choice to eat foods I feel honour and support me and my body as I work throughout my day… ‘ Great Article Joshua – thank you.
Thank you this is an inspirational read for anyone on or considering a ‘free from…’ way of eating. I know as my food choices have changed over the years my recipes have become more creative as certain foods drop away.
The simplicity you have here in your article, makes so much sense. Putting it in a nutshell, being honest with ourselves, how does each piece of food feel in our body? Does it support the body or not…..taking full responsibility…..being true to ourselves.
Love the simplicity of what you present Joshua, simply choosing to eat in a way that supports the body through food that brings you alive rather than dulls you down!