Expansive Existence

Perched between two tumultuous, tempestuous rivers- that river of thoughts and that river of emotions.

Magnetized by the palpable rush of the current, the foam licking at exposed skin, the whispers of agitated water droplets; an irresistible summoning to relent,

Lose form and become as fluid as the tributary, to merge structure, now indistinguishable from the destruction itself

But it was only ever a summoning, a grand invitation to be accepted or declined

We are creation incarnate with infinite opportunity to lose form or claim it

What if I told you that your relationship with food is a direct reflection of your sense of safety in the world?

Healthy eating habits are in our intrinsic nature! It is only when we are out of balance that dysfunctional eating tendencies develop (including undereating or overeating).

My anorexia developed in middle school and intensified in high school and both of these were periods of intense disruption and unpredictability in the life around me. My restrictive tendencies have come and gone throughout different seasons of life. The one factor in common? My sense of safety and feeling the need to control in life!

Fixing our relationship with food is NOT ABOUT THE FOOD. It is a matter of dialoging with our inner self and gauging how safe we feel...focusing on cultivating a sense of security is far more impactful than a mere micromanaging of our diet mindset.

Do you undereat in periods of stress? (Control)

Do you overeat when you feel you are lacking love and support? (Using food as reassurance)

Do you micromanage your diet and fear eating “unclean?” (Not trusting your environment)

Do you get nervous around sweet treats and indulgences? (Lack of trust in self)

Rather than beating ourselves up and getting “better” at how we eat, we ought to take some time and space to consult with our higher self.

It is our divine birth right to delight in delicious and abundant food, without fear or restriction. Where do you lack a feeling of safety/security in your life?

Body composition is more a result of your Hormones, not Calories.

Think about it...

Girls rapidly put on fat during puberty, even though they are growing and expending more energy

How many people do you know who eat very little and still carry around excess fat?

Have you ever tried exercising like a madman to find that weight loss inevitably stalls?

It is time to stop the calorie-in, calorie-out conversations, unless we are talking about whether you eat enough (and most people don't).

At its core, our metabolism is most powerfully driven by our hormone composition. Hormones are dictated by our environment, genetic makeup, circadian rhythm, sleep, stress management, and activity level. It is ridiculously reductionistic to attempt to manipulate our metabolism by cutting back on calories. This leads to fewer resources in the form of enzymes and macronutrients, but long term calorie deprivation can also perpetuate unnecessarily high levels of cortisol, which actually exacerbate fat accumulation and muscle loss.

So what's a hard core dieter to do?

If your goal is to improve your body composition, whether that be through fat lass or muscle gain, your #1 goal is to transition your body to a state of hormonal bliss. This can be easier said than done in our fast paced society, but it is imperative that we take steps where we can! Here are some practices to begin implementing:

*Bring awareness to your thought processes and emotional management, as this is the basis for our stress load

*Eat more and eat more frequently. Ideally, these are whole foods instead of processed junk, as junk perceived as just that by our physiology, leading to more deranged metabolic processes

*Stop fearing food!! This one is key. Your physiology responds to your psychology. We can literally induce fat gain if we convince ourselves that eating that extra bowl of fruit will produce such an effect.

*Manage your sleep and engage in gentle movement. For many people, pushing too hard on the metaphorical gas petal (or the literal treadmill belt) can produce a paradoxical effect- excessive exercise is also perceived by the body as a stressor that can contribute to fat gain)