Everywhere you look there’s a new diet, each with a claim that it’s better than the last. Give up this, give up that. We’re all looking for the quick fix. The health hack. 10 day juice detox. 30 day weight loss plan. Up and down. Back and forth. We either lose the weight and then lose the motivation, or continue chasing after some skinny carrot, a superficial mirage that we’ll never reach.
We can continue dieting, dining on guilt and shame, living lives disconnected from that which actually sustains us — or we can begin to reestablish our relationship with food stepping into a lifestyle rather than a diet.
I’m proposing a new way eating. Reconnecting to the source by looking at what we truly value and want for our lives and the world around us.
This is eating with Integrity, bringing our thoughts, words, and deeds in to alignment.
What’s in it for us? Beyond weight, beyond the guilt, why reexamine our eating habits?
If we determine what we want in our lives, and take this deeper than weight loss, a path becomes clear. We’re drawn to choosing what we consume out of creation rather than guilt. This means holding a clear picture in our minds of the world we want to live in, the lives we want to lead, and the connections to others we want to hold and having that to draw us forward. Rather than choosing from guilt and avoidance, we choose from love and hope.
Starting with why, the what and how will fall into place. Rather than being good or bad, and with no wagon to fall off of, I propose looking at healthy habits as just that habits to be procured, practiced, tried out and tried on. While canoeing down a river, we know the direction we want to go and the destination, but were we to trace our path we would see that it zigzags back and forth. Our lives are much the same. We can only correct while in motion with a clear aim ahead of us. Our clarity of intent and integrity will light the way. And in our exploration I predict we’ll find a deeper connection to that which we put in our mouth, changing not only our health and bodies, but eventually the entire world around us.
It can all start with a simple bite.
Zachary Koval VLCE, is a coach of life and possibility. Certified through the ICF (International Coach Federation) accredited program, Accomplishment Coaching, he coaches creative professionals and social entrepreneurs in working toward their visions and dreams, all the while inviting integration and integrity into every step of their journey. He can be reached at www.