Q: What if I'm not experiencing any symptoms from my current diet that includes processed and animal foods?
Over a beautiful fire, a friend posed this question to me this week and I can’t stop thinking about it. So you get the answer, too. 😊
Let me offer a few thoughts. With the first being, often times what we think is “normal” to physically feel, isn’t.
While it may be “common”, it’s not normal to feel bloated after a meal. It’s not normal to feel a mid-afternoon slump. It’s not normal to crave sweets or get the jitters when you haven’t eaten in a few hours. It’s not normal to have unexplained random body aches and pains. It’s not normal to feel lethargic or low energy for more than a day or so at a time without explanation. It’s not normal to have trouble falling or staying asleep. It’s not normal to never feel thirsty even when only drinking a few ounces of water a day. And it’s definitely not normal to feel years older than your chronological age.
What we think is normal is what we’ve been conditioned to think is okay because it’s become common.
The flip side is feeling full of energy, falling asleep with ease, not having many sensations in your abdomen after eating at all. And experiencing every meal and its digestion with ease and comfort.
This is only made possible when we nourish our body’s with the nutrients they need in order to digest, detoxify, and support proper (and optimal) function.
Secondly, even if you don’t feel any adverse symptoms from your current diet, it doesn’t mean that things aren’t happening inside your body without visible effects.
Plaque can be building up in your arteries, DNA can be damaged, cellular communication may be interrupted, and inflammation can be progressing without you ever feeling a thing. That’s why it’s so critical to not only pay attention to adverse effects but also to when you feel your best.
How are you caring for yourself when you feel amazing? When you have that day that is flowing with ease - cravings are scarce, energy is high, and your mood is great?
Paying attention to the positive is even more critical and more enlightening when it comes to what your body is communicating - and making changes to allow it to feel that great all the time.
There is one caveat here and that is that often when sweeping changes are made to your diet, you can experience a few days of unpleasant symptoms due to detoxification, but the great news is that they only last a few days and they’re a true sign that healing is taking place.
Next Steps
Reflect on the sensations you have deemed normal and what else they may be communicating.
Show yourself kindness by witness your physical sensations without judgment.
Become open to the idea of unlearning what has become nutrition “dogma” and re-learning what your body really needs (fresh plant foods, water, rest, and care).
With love and nourishment,
Emma