Diet is a strange thing. The word itself dates back a long way to Middle English and beyond, and it essentially referred to a way of life. More often than not, these days it seems to mean a temporary trend in a way of eating – except in January when it means how to sell a lot of books, of course. Diet used to be a part of one’s culture, for good or otherwise, but now it’s a fashion.
Diet – a matter for the intellect or intuition?
Never before has there been such a wealth of information on the subject of nutrition and diet, nor such a diversity of types of food available to us. There is so much material to read, watch or listen to. Always, someone somewhere is saying what is good for us or what will surely kill us off. Advice is so plentiful that it can give us indigestion of the mental kind. But why is there so much? Are we really so out of touch with ourselves and our bodies that we need someone to tell us what to eat and drink? Sadly, I think the answer to that may be yes but it needn’t be. I believe it’s not too late to escape this madness.
Listen to your body and give your mind a break
Slowing down and listening to the body can provide all the information we need. But because we are bombarded by so many stimuli, we forget to listen. Diet should be the result of intelligence – innate intelligence – not the intellect.
A simple and effective technique to avoid diets
Next time you are thinking about what to eat or drink, slow down and feel your breath. Place a hand on the abdomen for a few seconds. Gradually, as this becomes habit, you will always know what is good and what your body needs. Your body will tell you, through the sense of touch and through the faculty of inner listening. It’s simple, it’s satisfying and it works. (Oh yes – and it’s free.)
Being in touch with yourself and your natural rhythms is set out in much more detail in The Great Little Book of Happiness – A Guide to Leading a Happier Life
For free meditations and information on occasional workshops, take a look at the Joyousness website.
