We are almost 8 billion people on this planet. PEOPLE, not machines. We are alike, not carbon copies. We have body, mind and soul. What moves my soul leaves you cold. What does me good hurts you. The motivation that sets me in motion doesn’t make you get out of bed. That’s OK. As long as we understand that I am not like you and you will never be like me.
It’s the same in terms of nutrition. There are some general principles that must be followed, otherwise we are different and we each have our own recipe. If we understand that we function on the basis of water, movement, sleep, macronutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and motivation (meaning), we can find our balance, alone or with help. We will make many mistakes until we find what works for us. Again, it’s ok. Our body will tell us what is good and what is not. We can try all the fashionable diets, why not? We can see what worked for others, maybe it works for us. We can create a new diet with which we can feel good. What does it mean to feel good? Like anything in life, don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself to you. How did you feel before you made the changes in your lifestyle and how are you now? If before you were a tired polenta all the time, and now you can work for 3 hours without feeling the need to rest, it’s a great progress. Maybe you will never be super energetic, whirling all day and doing a lot of chores, like someone else has become after a similar diet. It is you, not someone else.
What does it mean to eat unhealthily? First of all, it means that we eat too much for how much physical effort we make. It is no healthier to eat a big bowl of blueberries than a palm-sized steak with 3 tablespoons of cabbage salad. I repeat: we eat too much. Nutritionist Mark Haub did an experiment: he was overweight and for 10 weeks he ate only fast food, up to 1800 calories a day, his energy needs. The outcome? He lost 12 kg, and his blood tests improved significantly. He did not want his experiment to make a plea for fast food, but to show that healthy eating means something other than the obsession with certain so-called “healthy” foods, and it is a combination of factors of which the amount of food ingested is one essential.
We would be amazed to find out how little food we actually need. We are bombarded with images, smells and more and more tempting offers. We have been educated to believe that if we are a little hungry, it is the end of the world, our blood sugar drops and we faint on the street. No one faints if they do not eat for 6-8-12 hours. It is possible to faint if you do not drink water for so long, but no one tells you that, because water is free (theoretically) and no one gets rich if he urges you to drink water. You will be encouraged to buy biscuits “if you are a little hungry”, burgers, salami and thousands of other products. And when you are filled up and look longingly at other dishes, wanting to continue eating, even though your stomach is full, you will be shown miracle drugs that will help you get rid of excess and continue to eat. Then other weight loss medications, devices that tone your muscles while eating or watching TV. “You won’t have to give up your favorite food.” Medications for esophageal reflux, miracle teas, miracle herbs … Do you want to get rid of esophageal reflux? Eat less, reduce your belly and take a walk after every meal, do not sit in bed tired and crammed with food. But this is free and we are too lazy.
We are manipulated and bombarded every moment with all kinds of advertisements, we have no way to escape, and resisting is hard. But awareness brings a little good. The voice of those who say: WE EAT TOO MUCH is small, a drop in the desert, but it’s still better than nothing.
