I was washing dishes the other day, which is surprisingly very calming for me. Either it’s the sound of the water running that reminds me of water falls, the symbolic washing away of excess energy in my life or that I’m just that domestic. For those of you who know me, it’s probably the latter – I spend far too much time in the kitchen :oP

 

Nonetheless, while I was meditating with soap and water a thought came to mind regarding Fad Diets! I’ve been studying food for quite some time, and I’ve seen over the past decade, multiple variations on the next best thing to improve your life – “Eat this specific way” and it’ll solve all your ailments! There is some truth behind cutting certain things out of your routine diet; however, I think it’s under the guise of something else…

I’ve seen friends and family cut out carbs, cut out gluten, remove certain proteins and even avoid “kapha-like” veggies in their daily consumption (my yogi friends will understand the last statement). You’ll hear this on the streets of San Francisco all the time, “I’m [blank] intolerant, so I can’t eat [blank], otherwise I’ll cause an imbalance in my body.” I had a dietician friend confirm this for me (not just a nutritionist, but a scientist who studies the chemistry behind food and hormone interaction) – just about everyone is intolerant to everything we put into our bodies. It’s just a matter of “how” intolerant we are. Do we produce the right amount of hormones to break down and digest XYZ? And there is genetic proof that certain ethnic groups produce larger amounts of hormones to address native calories for consumption. 

So why am I excited about Fad Diets? I don’t think it’s the craze behind all the marketing, or the commercialization of juicing, smoothie-ing, or cleansing. It’s because, for the moment, “diets” force us to be mindful of what we put into our bodies. When was the last time you were on a diet, and you had to check to see if something was on your “approved list” for consumption? The funny thing is that we’ve known what is healthy for us for the longest time – Eat veggies, work on the pyramid, consume in moderation, etc… And yet we still don’t pay attention to what goes in our bodies, until the promise of something positive (placebo or not) comes our way – lose weight, increase your energy, find your body’s balance.

So I am all for the fad diets, even though some of my peers may not be. The only thing that I would ask is that while you are strict with your palate, be mindful of the effects things have on your body and daily disposition. Instead of documenting the number of calories consumed versus burned, maybe journal about “I had caffeine and it made me jittery; I ate asparagus, and even though my pee smelled, I felt fantastic for the rest of the day; that bacon was so worth it, but my stomach paid for it later on.” These will give insight into what you can consume with ease, leading to something that is much more sustainable.

~Namasate~ BC