A New Dietary Mindset

Diet (noun): the kinds of food a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

If this is the number one definition of a diet, why is it that we associate the word “diet” with “restriction?”

How often do you hear people say, “my diet starts tomorrow,” or “I need to go on a diet.”

All of the outside influences we’ve been exposed to has us interpreting those messages as “I need to be thinner,” or “I need to eat less.”

But going back to the actual definition of the word, those phrases could be translated to “I’m going to start eating tomorrow,” or “I need to eat.” When you replace the word “diet” with the word “eat,” you start to realize how silly this sounds. It’s time we recognize that our diets consist of what we’re eating, not what we’re not eating.

Our culture has us believing that thin is in and that’s the only way of being, but, really, there are about a zillion and one other ways of being:

1. witty

2. funny

3. contemplative

4. hot-tempered

5. kind

6. FIERCE

just to name a few.

I’m proposing we bid adieu to the dietary fads of yesteryears and welcome in a new regimen. One that focuses less on the “right” foods, and “healthy” meals, and “fat-free,” and “low-cal,” and more on balance. Instead of letting fad “diets” rule our lifestyle, let’s channel that (potentially harmful) energy towards something a little bit more wholesome.

A New Dietary Mindset

It’s natural to assume my proposed “new dietary mindset” would revolve around food, but aha! what I’m more interested in is finding ways to flip the script with some of the same verbiage.

Detox.

Purge.

Cleanse.

These words are inherently linked to the restricting foods and manipulating our bodies “for the better.” Instead, I want to connect these words with bigger-ticket items like how oppressive technology can be, the constant stream of mind chatter, and an overwhelming excess of stuff. Below I’ve mapped out a dietary approach to better connect our minds and bodies. This type of Detox, Purge, and Cleanse won’t leave you feeling depleted, hungry, and out of control, instead, you’ll feel balanced, nourished, and full.

 

Digital Detox

 

In my living room alone, there’s a TV, two laptops, two iPhones, and an iPad. And that’s still excluding the multiple speakers, printers, scanner, headphones, and electronic calculator hidden behind cabinets and drawers.

This overbearing relationship with technology surrounds us all day long: computer-lined offices, satellite radio stations, podcasts, Youtube videos, the stream is seemingly endless. Our smartphones have become akin to phantom limbs, making us feel debilitated when they’re not in our purse or pocket. Having the ability to constantly check email, social media accounts, and national news outlets can keep us further and further from the present moment.

• Notice how your last text kept you from exchanging hellos with that passing stranger.
• Or maybe you can’t remember the last time you caught a mesmerizing sunset because you were scrolling through Twitter.
• Our current environment has us believing our screen-time is normal, but I’m aiming for a change. A detox, even.
• Perhaps you spend a little less time online and a little more time outside. Or surrounded by friends. Or catching up with your favorite book.
• Regardless of your activity, try doing it digital-free.
• Set boundaries for yourself.
• Maybe you choose one day a week to leave your phone at home.     
• Maybe you commit to shutting down the computers, tv’s, and tablets by 7pm every night so you can fully relax, recharge, and unwind.
• Maybe you make screen-free gatherings a ritual by inviting friends to power off their devices when you’re all together, making the most of the time spent in each other’s company.

 

Processing Purge

 

For me, it feels like life is loud. Maybe not *literally,* but all encompassing, nonetheless. Whether we’re reading, talking, listening to voicemails, checking our email, or watching the news, our brains are constantly trying to process and filter information.

Willingly or not, we binge on this steady stream of names, dates, facts, articles, and numbers, everyday.

And unlike the Digital Detox, the noise and information and processing doesn’t always stop once our devices are switched off. In fact, for me, that’s when I find the noise getting louder. Because for me, it’s harder to quiet my mind than my phone.

Imagine you’re standing in the middle of Penn Station. There’s so much outside stimuli that you can’t even begin to internalize what’s going on around you. Your mind hasn’t had the chance to absorb what its hearing and seeing.

Now imagine you’ve slipped on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Having blocked one of your senses, you can look around the train station with more focus. Without the distraction of the noise, you can more clearly take in everything around you.

Once you’re able to block the outside stimuli and tune in to your own internal chatter, the real “purge” can begin. While not as simple as muting the TV or silencing your phone, you can quiet your mind with one very specific tool: meditation.

Once your left with the incessant noise still bumpin’ around in your head, quiet your environment and tune into your breath. When you begin to focus on one thing (like the sound of your breathing or the subtle in and out of your stomach), your thoughts will start to slowly dissolve away.

• Your mind isn’t wandering.
• You aren’t being bombarded with outside influences.
• When you’re meditating, there’s nothing to read, nothing to hear, nothing to say. You’re just being.
• With meditation, you’re offering your mind a chance to relax.
• To let go.
• To just stop.

When we let our brains fill up to the point of exploding (ie binge), we’re in need of a release (ie purge). Let meditation be that release.
Start small, maybe once a week for five minutes. Maybe you increase to ten minutes. Maybe you find yourself wanting more. Maybe you meditate twice a week, three times, maybe it becomes a daily practice.

However it fits into your life, I urge you to just try this “processing purge.” If not for the stillness and calm, then for the relief you’d be granting yourself.

 

Consumer Cleanse

 

Another popular word in diet culture is “cleanse.” At the root, I love this word: rinsing, cleaning, removing toxins, HOW GREAT. And while our bodies can experience a cleanse, so can our mindset. Our typical consumer-based lifestyle is due for a makeover, and just like the overlooked hall closet could use a little spring cleaning, the idea of sorting, organizing, repurposing, and reducing is something from which we could all benefit.

Just like you’d rid toxins and excess from your body with a cleanse, let’s apply the same principle to our day-to-day lives with a Consumer Cleanse.

• Looking around your home, what do you see?
• If you’re like me, you’re noticing a lot of stuff. Clothes, books, plants, shoes; things are everywhere.
• My Consumer Cleanse starts with the initial sweep.
• When sorting through the stuff that surrounds you, ask yourself the following:
• When is the last time I used this?
• Do I have space for this?
• Does this provide anything special to my life?

Not to get too “Marie Kondo” on you, but these questions can provide a lot of insight when assessing whether you keep the items or not.

If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, I’d recommend it’s time to say goodbye.

Maybe it’s trash, but maybe it’s not. Consider donating or recycling before simply throwing these things away because while those items no longer “sparked joy” for you, they could really light up someone else.

• Now, after the initial sweep is complete, it’s time to get creative.
• Are there any items left that could be used in multiple ways?
• Could you repurpose a ratty blanket for a new pillow coverings?
• Maybe the old photos in the back of your closet could be assembled and framed into a new piece of art?

I’m not saying you should double your dish towel as a winter scarf, but you might find there are several ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle several of the items you already have before buying something new.

And speaking of going out and buying more (because let’s be real: the urge will arise), use the same questions from above when going on a shopping spree.

If what you’re considering buying doesn’t fit in your space or bring you any special joy, what’s the point of buying it?

Consuming less and relying more on the things we already have may shift our perspective. When we’re able to find beauty in our “old” things, we may begin feeling a little bit more appreciative, ingenuitive, and proud of the “stuff” in our homes.

While it may take awhile for this new dietary verbiage to catch on, I’m confident that shifting our mindset away from food restriction and more on bettering our bodies (physically, emotionally, and mentally) is something with which everyone could get on board.