TELL ME WHAT YOU ATE AND I WILL TELL YOU HOW YOU ARE FEELING

If you think that the foods you eat and how you feel have nothing to do with each other, it’s time to open your mind, and close your mouth, to certain foods, that is.

I remember my recent visit to Spain, where, for the umpteenth time I heard my own mother complain about how crappy she is feeling pretty much all the time.

And for the umpteenth time, I told her to stop eating so much bread, pasta, potatoes and sugary foods, or quit whining.

Her response is always the same:

Don’t be silly, we’ve always eaten these foods – she said.

Always? – I asked.

Yes, all my life – she insisted.

And how long have you been feeling crap? – I enquired.

Oh, for years now. But what can I do? - She asked.

Quit eating so much bread, pasta, potatoes and sugary stuff – I repeated.

Yet, she still won’t give up the source of her problem. Why?

Because as family therapist Virginia Satir once said:

Most people think that the will to survive is the strongest instinct in human beings, but it isn’t. The strongest instinct is to keep things familiar.

Sometimes, we make something so familiar, that even if it’s bad for us, we stick with it. Instead of engaging in a new behaviour, we keep doing the same thing. Even if it kills us.

The truth is that for millions of years, we humans existed on a diet of animals and vegetables. It was only with the start of agriculture about 10,000 years ago that we began ingesting large amounts of sugar and starch in the form of grains and potatoes into our diets.

However, about 99.99% of our genes were formed before the start of agriculture. So, in biological terms, our bodies are still those of hunter-gatherers!

As a result, societies that transitioned from a meat and vegetable diet to one high in cereals show a reduced lifespan, stature, increases in infant mortality and infectious disease, and higher nutritional deficiencies.

Modern humans don’t have evolved mechanisms to incorporate carbohydrates from starch- and sugar rich foods into our diet. We are consuming far too much bread, cereals, pasta, corn, rice, potatoes and sugar with serious consequences to our health. To make matters worse, most of these carbohydrates are processed.

So, if you, like my mum, are experiencing symptoms such as: excess weight, bloating, lethargy or frequent sleepiness, brain fogginess and confusion, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, depression... chances are that you’ve been consuming too many of those.

We all need a certain amount of good carbohydrates, of course, but, through our addiction to grains, potatoes, and other starchy and sugary foods, we are consuming far too many.

Grains and sugars suppress the immune system, contributing to allergies, and they are responsible for a lot of digestive disorders. They contribute to depression, and their excess consumption is, in fact, associated with many of the chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

As a coach, I could kid myself and my clients by solving the surface symptoms by simply hypnotising them. But then what? They go to back home and unless new healthier behaviours are implemented, the chances are it’ll all go awol again.

So, if you look or feel unhealthier than you should, whether the symptoms are showing themselves in your face, body, bones, energy, or mind, chances are that the excess sugars and grains in your diet are the primary cause.

Still sceptical? Give them up for a week and notice your energy levels soar, your mind clearing up, and your face glowing!