You may not know this about me but I’ve spent many years as a Health Coach and Nutritional Educator. A good percentage of that time I spent telling people what they should and should NOT eat. I taught my clients all the food rules I’d picked up along the way. Until the day I realized I was a fear pusher disguising myself as health conscious.
Today, I have a whole new freedom regarding food and I want to share it because it’s totally awesome and completely True. I’ve always loved food; talking about it, planning it, shopping for it, sharing it and eating it. At the same time, I held many judgments and anxieties with food, body image and disease.
On this journey of awakening, I’ve asked to have the blocks to Love removed. Food has been a biggie for me. I decided to shift all of my perceptions and use these fears as part of my transformation.
Let me explain:
I was raised by a food-fearing (aka health conscious) Mom. There were so many do’s and don’ts to manage and worry about. She ate an extremely (EXTREMELY) clean diet, always had a cupboard full of high quality supplements, no “bad” habits, went to bed early and worked full time for a famous Holistic Physician. (Side-note: her body died at the age of 68)
Because there are so many food rules that keep changing, I’ve spent my life looking for patterns. I wanted the truth. Which “diets” or lifestyle practices cause people to live well into their 90’s? Which diet’s cause people to die at an early age “before their time”. Do people who exercise 90 minutes per day live longer than couch potatoes? Do skinny bodies last longer that chunky ones? WHAT’S ACTUALLY GOING ON HERE?
Here’s the thing.
There are no patterns.
I recently did some research on people who lived to be over 100 and told of their “secrets” to longevity. So fun! Of course there was a small percentage that chalked it up to diet and exercise but most of them never gave diet a thought. Everyone had a unique “secret”. Here are some examples.
Jose Aguinelo do Santos (believed to be the oldest living man in the world), 126: Walks without a stick. No known health problems; smokes a pack of cigarettes a day since the age of 13. His says his secret to longevity is that he sings every day and tells lots of jokes.
Agnes Fenton, 110: Says her secret to living 110 years is 3 bottles of Miller High Life (she was told it was the “champagne of beers”) and a glass of whiskey every day.
Jessie Gallan, 109: Jessie ate mostly porridge and never married. She says the lack of men in her life is linked to her longevity. (Hahahaaa! I’m not making this stuff up!)
Adelina Domingues, 114: Never fractured a bone, never took any medicine and has never been to the hospital. She says her secret to longevity is never wearing makeup and that religion has been her best medicine.
Susannah Mushatt Jones, 116: Plenty of sleep and a steady diet of bacon, eggs and grits. However, she believes her longevity comes from always extending Love and generosity to others.
George Boggess, 103: No particular diet but has never driven a car and attributes his long life to walking wherever he needs to go.
Paul Marcus, 101: He has always eaten whatever he wants and believes the secret to his longevity is plenty of ice cream.
Pretty cool, huh?
On the other hand, don’t we all know folks who “did everything right” and still managed to pass away at a young age?
THERE IS A BIGGER PICTURE HERE!
Before we go any further, here is a list of some of the rules/fears the world tells us to worry about (and I’m sure I missed a few). Here goes: Artificial chemicals, tap water, bottled water, calories, sodium, preservatives, microwave ovens, fats, fat-free products, Trans-fats, Saturated fats, low fat, high/low temperature oils, meat, fake meat, no meat, fish, soy, corn, corn syrup, grains, mercury, food coloring, plastic, Styrofoam, pharmaceuticals, aluminum, butter, margarine, hormones and antibiotics, parasites, germs, soil, alcohol, charcoal, dairy, too much sunshine, not enough sunshine, sugar, artificial sugar, too much fruit, not enough vegetables, free range, cage free, grass fed, raw, over cooked, homogenized, pasteurized, extrusion, food combining, Fluoride, bacteria, vaccinations, no vaccinations, toxins, heavy metals, pesticides, ….and running with scissors.
Dear Lord! Stop the insanity!
Those thoughts are only of the mind and the body responds to the thoughts we think.
Period.
Look, these bodies are NOT who we are, but they are really cool communication devices for our Spirit. WHAT I AM SAYING is that food rules and dieting are NOT the answer to keeping these meat covered wagons in the safe zone! Let’s take a look at fear’s influence on the body.
I love using Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work with water as an example. It’s a pure and simple illustration of how our thoughts affect our bodies, the food we eat and the world. Say loving words to water and it smiles; be fearful or angry and water shrivels. Since we are mostly made up of water, can you imagine how our bodies react to the thoughts and words we use?
Check out these photos below that show how thoughts of Love and Gratitude affect water.
And here is a photo of water after it’s been exposed to thoughts of fear. (below)
Even if water has been severely compromised and polluted, it can be totally transformed by thoughts of Love. (below)
Not even (so called “toxic”) magnetic radiation can mess with water that’s been exposed to thoughts of Love.
CHECK THIS OUT! Love healed this water exposed to nuclear fallout!
DO YOU SEE? It’s so simple and uncompromising. These bodies we occupy are 80% water.
This means that the thoughts you think are much more important to the health of the body than what goes in it.
I’m certainly not saying we go out and ingest poison in the name of Love. Just stay with me. I’ll get to the right minded food practices in a minute.
What I am saying, is that all those food fears I listed earlier…those are what we need to “diet” from.
God is Love. God is life. God is all there is and God is in everything. This is the only Truth and life only responds to that.
Does this mean we shouldn’t march against Monsanto and fight big Pharma? Yes, that’s exactly what it means. If your activism is fueled by fear and blame… YOU’RE NOT HELPING ANYONE. Remember…only Love and Gratitude heal. Ask yourself where you can extend more of that and now you’re making a difference. Go out and give to what it is that you DO want.
We can use food to become more awake. We can still be conscious about food decisions but from a place of Love and not fear. Eat beautiful and clean foods because you Love your body, not because you hate it and certainly not because you’re afraid of sickness and death.
Back when I gave value to all of those food fears, I always had a reason to feel worried and guilty about eating. It was a constant pattern of fear, rules, deprivation, cravings, failure and guilt. NOT a formula for health and happiness. I am totally done with that.
Through practice and vigilance, I now have a completely different relationship with this body and with food.
First of all, I don’t see this body as “me” anymore. I only want to use it to extend Love and to carry out God’s Will for me. Joy and happiness are its favorite life sustaining nutrients! Jesus says in ACIM that when I am using the body for this purpose, it will remain a healthy and serviceable instrument until it’s use is over. And who wants to keep it when its usefulness is done?
Got body image issues? Focus on the above! Practice gratitude for this ever-loyal and miraculous instrument and stop focusing on every seeming imperfection. Those are lies.
If I’m feeling worried about my health or insecure about my body’s attractiveness. It’s simply a clear sign that I have forgotten the Truth of who I AM. Choose again, Beautiful.
So here’s where my relationship with food is now.
I KNOW that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. The only ingredient I avoid is fear. I gave up all my food judgments and perceptions. If those fear thoughts pop in, which they sometimes do, I don’t value them and I don’t answer. It’s merely an opportunity to remember the Truth. I make the decision to choose a loving thought instead. Food is a great tool to remember Love and to be compassionate with myself and I get to do it at least 3X a day.
As far as what I eat…here it is. I totally Love God. I have chosen to Trust God with all my heart. So, I mostly choose foods as close to the way He put them here as possible. God brilliantly created everything. So, whole and unprocessed is my favorite way to eat. I never count calories, measure or worry. This just makes sense deep inside the Truth of me. I listen. I eat with God.
But please know… If I want to go out for pepperoni pizza, beer or a big bowl of chemicals with pesticide sauce, I do. I bless that food and fully expect that food to bless me right back. There is nothing I “don’t” eat. I Bless it all.
Cooking is never a chore for me. Listen and listen well. Cooking is an act of Love. I’ve collected hundreds of simple, REAL food recipes that are off the charts scrumptious. It’s easy! With joy and gratitude, I create meals that are loaded with those beautiful life crystals that would make Dr. Emoto proud. I wish I could invite him for dinner!
I stay present when I eat and remember that the state of mind I’m in while eating it is most important. In this way, you can listen to your body and stop eating when it’s full. If you turn to food when you’re really not hungry, stop and listen. Use this opportunity for self-discovery. Be awake! What is it you really need? (HINT: It’s some form of Love).
When fear manifests in your awareness as an anxious mind, that’s what causes a dis-ordered body. True healing is learning to identify with the Truth of who you are. For now, remembering is a choice you must keep choosing to make. You are the Christ. You are God’s precious Son and you are Love.
I know this information turns everything that the world tells you upside-down. It’s supposed to. I can’t wait to read your comments below. I also have a quick question: Would you be interested in participating in a program using food as a tool to practice and remember Love? A program where you would dedicate time and effort to shift all of your old perceptions and enter into a whole new relationship with food, cooking, and your body? A fun new way to remember the Truth of your magnificence and the power of God? Let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks so much for being here.
I love you,
Linda
