Try Eating What You Need, Not What You Want

This article originally appeared on Yoganonymous.com.

Photo via Google Images

Do you hear that? 

It’s a call for a new food movement. A movement that stops the restriction of the types of food we eat (fruit, meat, dairy), and begins the restriction the quality of the foods we eat (raw, organic, grass-fed, non-GMO).

It’s all about quality, not category. Healthy eating is about fueling yourself up with the highest quality foods, not necessarily about restricting food varieties.

Why would you eat the non-organic, genetically modified, vitamin deficient iceberg lettuce, and say no top quality grass-fed milk? It’s like saying, “Hey, thank you for the top tier milk, but I’m going to pass for this minimally nourishing flop of lettuce in the name of veganism.”

Two years ago, I cut out all meat and dairy for my diet because I had severe cystic acne. I stopped eating anything that I believed would spark an inflammatory reaction in my body.

Throughout these two years of minimal dairy and animal products, my body completely re-adjusted. I felt so clear and light in my body, but anytime I smelled meat, my taste buds would go crazy.

My olfactory senses were buzzing, my mouth was drooling – I was like a dog in a meat shop.  It came to a point where (even if I wasn’t hungry) I would ask to smell someone else’s food. I was crazy for meat, but still I wouldn’t eat it!

I had dry skin, a thirst that couldn’t be quenched, and my eczema was spreading – my body was craving more moisture and more fat. I felt it, I could sense it, but for some reason the coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, and great plant-based fats just weren’t enough. So, I finally caved.

I started eating all types of meat, I started swapping out coconut milk in my coffee for half-and-half, and I started eating Greek yogurt for breakfast. And you know what happened? My skin cleared up. From the deep tissue layers to the top of my skin, my complexion was clear, soft, supple, and glowing from the inside out.

Did I really need so much animal fat? 

It turns out yes, and now I have great skin (which is all I ever really wanted). Through this process, I’ve learned that it’s okay to eat any type of food, as long as it’s top quality.

You should know that there are fruits and superfoods that amp up hormone levels (just like milk), and there are leafy greens that are filled with pesticides and chemicals. So the best way to manage your food consumption is to eat clean, top quality foods.   

Eating clean means that you’re eating foods that peacefully merge with your body, instead of eating things that are filled with foreign chemicals and can cause strange reactions.

You will go through waves and you will need different things at different times, so just tune in and listen. Food is your nourishment, it’s your fuel. Fuel up with the right things, and be mindful that the right thing today may not be the right thing in three months.

Seeing the change in my body has made me realize, my food should fuel my body with what my body needs, not what with society says my body needs. With that, take a deep breath, and set the intention to eat what you need, not necessarily what you want.

Craving animal products but feeling on the fence about re-introducing them into your body?

If you’ve been off dairy and animal products, the large fatty meats like steak may be too much for your stomach to handle. Go for grass-fed dairy and grass-fed meat, and reach for thinly sliced meats, like prosciutto. The small amount of meat will be easier for your body to take in, and you won’t feel as slow and tired as when you’re digesting a heavy steak. Keep in mind, a little goes a long way. You do not have to eat meat every day, or even every week. Do what feels right, and listen if your body says you’re over-doing it.