Grateful for nothing more

Happy New Year!

I’m sitting in my dining room overlooking snowy hills and a beautiful deep blue lake, sun shining brightly from a crisp winter sky.

Grateful. Grateful for a new year that really means nothing more than a new calendar year. January 2017. That’s it.

Why am I grateful that its nothing more? Because I don’t feel restricted, confined, obsessed, controlled, fearful — like I used to — by every indulgence.

• Every holiday party.
• Every new start of a diet, cleanse or detox.
• Every new Monday to make up for my “food sins” of the weekend.
• Every new year to start yet another resolution.

I don’t feel even remotely interested in all the promoted 3 Day Sugar Detoxes, 10 Day Cleanses, 21 Day Fixes, or 3 Weeks to a Flat Belly.

Why not?

Yes, I indulged somewhat these last few weeks. A little (a lot?) more wine than usual, a few Lindt Balls here and there, several large handfuls of chocolate covered almonds and a bag of Hawkins cheezies in one sitting…..

Hey, I was working late doing many months worth of bookkeeping, OK?

So shouldn’t I now be feeling guilty and restricting, cleansing, detoxing, dieting, etc to make up for all that?

As a nutritionist, shouldn’t I be recommending and promoting these programs as well?

Or should I just go back to eating the way I always do? The way I did before: the extra wine, chocolate covered almonds, and Cheezies?

And shouldn’t I be suggesting you do the same?

What’s more sustainable and balanced?

In my experience, quick fixes, restriction, and guilt just lead to more cravings, more indulgence, more poor food choices, leading to more quick fixes, restriction and guilt, then more cravings, more indulgence, more poor food choices, leading to …….

Well, eventually leading to poor physical, mental, and emotional health until you just can’t do it any more. 

Been there. Done that.

Not sustainable. Not balanced. Not healthy. Not free.

We shouldn’t have to try so hard, think so much.

It’s just food. Meant to give us energy, nourish our cells, be enjoyed, create community.

No guilt, no shame, no fear, no control.

Just food. Real, whole, food. As God created and nature provides – as much as possible. 

In balance. In moderation. Even moderation in moderation.

Every meal is an opportunity to choose well. Not Monday, not the New Year.

Every meal. Every day. Listening to your body’s needs.

So today I am grateful for where I’ve come from and that’s it’s just another beautiful day in January.

I will get out for a chilly walk in the crunchy snow and lift some weights. I will drink my coffee with organic whipped cream because it tastes good and my body tolerates it well.

I’m sipping my kombucha and will probably eat some sauerkraut because I like it and know the health benefits of fermented food, and enjoy the leftover Thai Stack from my freezer. No different than any other day. Except the leftovers.

Usually I have to actually cook.

I will likely skip the open bottle (er, box?) of wine and the Lindt balls still hanging around in my stocking.

Most of all I will enjoy time with my family around the dinner table without stressing about good, bad, or forbidden foods.

It’s just food. Real, whole, nourishing food.

Bon Appetit!

Brigitta Beer is a holistic nutritionist based in Kelowna.  After healing her own body and mind through real food, she is excited to spread the message of food freedom and achieving improved physical, emotional, and mental health through good nutrition. She can be reached at [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.