Breaking the Rules

I wanted a sandwich for dinner – an avocado, melted Swiss cheese, cucumber and spinach sandwich on sourdough spelt bread. Yum! But before I took my first bite, the “nutritional choir” chimed in, singing: gluten is bad, bread will turn to belly fat, this meal has too many carbs and not enough protein, dairy is congesting, cucumbers aren’t in season, and on and on the singing went. My body was saying, “yes, this looks so good and it is exactly what I want”, but my mind was blocking the pleasure with all of the nutritional rules.

Over the years, my nutrition rule book has burst at the seams and in many instances taken the pleasure and joy out of eating. All of the rules made me lose my connection to the most important nutritional teacher – my body-wisdom, my intuition and common sense. Learning to break the rules has been one of the most empowering and freeing nutritional lessons on my journey. I have truly learned to trust myself, honor my body and evolve as an eater. It has helped shift my relationship with food, my body and myself. Breaking the rules took practice, surrender and a whole lot of trust, but it paid off and my relationship with food has forever changed and it has inspired me to help others do the same.

We need to learn to unshackle ourselves from the rules our nutritional world has created, and open our mind, mouth, body and soul up to what we truly desire. If a food does not work for you, your body will instantly give you feedback, through symptoms, to let you know it was not a wise food choice. Letting go of the restrictions and relaxing into what the body intuitively wants often sends positive feedback, such as feeling satiated, satisfied, energized, grounded, emotionally balanced, warmed, joyous, strong and vital. We need to learn to trust in that body-wisdom and empower our food choices.

Our bodies evolve and change, and so our diets and minds need to as well. When we stick to rules and rigidity we block our own inner-knowing which ultimately creates the stress response. When we eat under this restricted and fear-based ambiance, we no longer digest and assimilate our food or burn calories optimally. We also block the joy of eating and nourishing ourselves.

It is time to give ourselves permission to break any rigid rules we may have around food that are hindering us and creating stress and angst around food. What if we just relaxed and let our body-wisdom guide us? Wouldn’t our meals taste so much better? Give it a try – no fear, no guilt, no chatter, no judgment, no rules. Just simply eat what your body is asking for with trust, joy, pleasure and love. That is soulful nourishment!

Amy Bondar

Inspiring. Wise. Dedicated.

Certified Eating Psychology Coach, Author and Speaker, has dedicated her life to inspiring, educating and encouraging people to realize the significant impact nourishing the body, mind and soul has on achieving optimum wellness. Her mission is to help people transform their relationship with food, their body and themselves. Amy believes nutrition is so much more than what we eat. How we eat and why eat are essential components to awakening our nutritional consciousness. If you truly would love to make a shift in the way in which you nourish yourself, visit www.amybondar.com or contact Amy at (403)245-2611.

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