Whole Food, Whole Person

Food has become...complicated. It doesn't have to be. When I shifted my focus to eating whole, real foods, things got a whole lot simpler. And I learned how to heal from the inside out, in more ways that one.

To me, a whole food is one that doesn't come in a wrapper and doesn't have an ingredient list. It is an ingredient. I believe there is a meaningful distinction between edible substances and real food. I choose, and advocate for, the latter. There's no morality associated with these choices; I'm not a better person because I eat vegetables and limit my consumption of animal products. But I am a profoundly healthier one.

Deciding what to eat, when to eat, and how much can be exhausting. I tried intuitive eating; it didn't work for me. I didn't trust myself to consume anything without restraint. At the time, I struggled to distinguish between emotional hunger and physiological hunger. The former was a bottomless pit, one that couldn't be filled with food.

I needed something to be easy. More importantly, I needed to feel better -- about myself, and inside my body. My marriage had just ended and everything was a struggle. Becoming vegetarian seemed like a small step with impactful benefits to the planet; it also simplified shopping, preparing and managing food. By (perhaps subconsciously) putting care into my food choices, I was showing myself the kindness that I desperately needed. As I healed my body through nutrition, I also healed my heart.

The principle of whole-ness is something I have embraced in all aspects of life. It has replaced the concept of discipline, which, in my experience, does not incorporate well. Discipline, to me, implies lack, invokes fear, feels punitive, and it is unsustainable. You are enough and there is nothing wrong with you. You don't have to defend or justify your choices. If you feel called to make different ones, I offer that you start from a place of whole-ness. Because you are whole. Nourish accordingly.