How to find your perfect diet & lifestyle
“Our job is not to deny the story, but defy the ending .”
-Dr. Brene Brown, LCSW, PhD
Have you ever heard: the past is in the past, don’t bother going back, why are you rehashing the past?, the past is already done with, etc. Except we learn about history in school, so there must be some merit… the most important piece is that we already know what has happened. We can learn from the past to change the future- which pretty much nixes any negative comment about looking at the past.
In history class generally the teacher picks out various points in history and weaves it into what’s most impactful, thought provoking, and then assigns tests, quizzes, pop quizzes, projects, and homework for us to learn their lessons. Why? Because at some point those situations may resemble our life, and in giving it such thought we may be less likely to repeat those same mistakes- or repeat it and have a win! Here, we also have someone guiding us along to discuss our findings, the good, bad, and everything in between, as we have the capability to strategize before this may ever even happen. Of course with the knowledge that there’s always that small chance we’re completely blindsided..
When we look into our own past, it can bring up a lot of ‘stuff.’ What we’re not taught though, is how to be our own teacher and look into our past in a guided manner, drawing upon situations that could have been similar to where we are now, and how to question ourselves to be open to considering all possibilities. That’s the scary part. That means we have to trust the unknown, giving up that seemingly safe sense of control (yet this gets roped into trends where we get so pumped that it will work THIS time), which deep down we know doesn’t always exist-so does the past really matter after all?? Maybe, maybe not, and everyone may find themselves on part of the spectrum (another uncomfortable thought of trusting ourselves- oy!).
Here’s how you can use your past to change your future state of health, should you so choose:
When did you feel fantastic?- Like over the moon, boundless energy, mind at peace, and even if you stayed in bed all day, you felt good. Or maybe just a day you felt slightly better than before. Take a look at the few days before- how much water did you drink? Was there something significant, good or not so good that happened? New exercise routine? Who were you around (or maybe just alone)? Different environment? What were your meals? Something occurred to change your state.
Conversely, when did you feel like absolute s***?- Outside of the once in awhile celebration, let’s take a look again at the past few days- this time with some different prompts. More sugar/sweets/carbs than usual? Jetlag? Sleep wasn’t great? Stomach just not feeling good (most of our mood hormone is made in our gut)? Miss a day of exercise? Something happen at work/school/home? Someone in any of your circles just draining your energy? Feeling behind schedule? I know.. just as many reasons, but hopefully it gets your wheels turning.
What diets works, and what diets didn’t?- This is getting even more specific and given how many types of diets there are, there’s also so much that these diets have in common, so by no means do you have to conform to just one! Which is super important to realize. No one on this whole planet eats the same diet, so find what works for you! Signs it’s working: You can stick with it, you can still have a social life, you love what you’re eating AND you’re getting results, you sleep well at night.
These are just some of the questions and prompts I discuss with people because many times even after all the diets, mindset tricks/hacks, DNA tests to predict our diet (these can really go either way, but many times I find the more we know ourselves we find that same best diet anyways), the magic pill/cleanse that will finally be the answer… we’ve seen this. History can tell us a lot, though it’s up to us and knowing how we function internally and externally that can determine not only how we find the best diet for us, but also clearly defining what exactly we want out of a diet! Aka our ideal lifestyle! Of course these can further get tailored to any health concerns, labs, etc. and if you’re interested in a place to start to really just get clear about some super basic habits that have been around for thousands of years, let’s find some time to chat :) no tests or quizzes!