Choosing your healthy weight

Weight loss, food allergies, “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods are a constant source of discussion in the media and will doubtless be of interest to most people at some point in their life, if not throughout their life!

Lis Horwich looks at how to achieve the perfect weight of your choosing.

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Weight loss, food allergies, “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods are a constant source of discussion in the media and will doubtless be of interest to most people at some point in their life, if not throughout their life!
None of us, I dare say, will have the only or the absolute answer on this subject. Very interestingly, Esther Hicks uses the term “vibrational food” to illustrate her assertion that if you expect food to make you slim, you become what you expect. She advises us to forget diets and exercise and just deeply believe that you are on the correct vibrational link with your food.
We all have the opportunity to do this but let’s be honest — not many of us are so spiritually connected that we can dive into the 4th box of chocolates and 2nd bottle of red wine of the day without negative consequences.
As a holistic practitioner, I strongly feel the biggest issue we have with food is the emotional link. We try to fill the empty emotional void with comfort food. We can all nod wisely that we know all about comfort eating. We all know it is likely to be the biggest reason we find it difficult to achieve a healthy weight of our own choosing! “Let’s have a treat”, is a common expression in social/family gatherings. “Let’s have another piece of cake”, is another. Most cultures have unwritten set rules/customs on how to treat visitors. In many countries, it is seen as extremely rude and disrespectful not to eat everything which is set before us, even though it may be far beyond our natural limits of food intake. In Denmark, there are biscuits called “Nothing”, so when you are at an overladen coffee table and dismiss another piece of cake, the host can push you to eat “Nothing”!

Food is inextricably linked to feelings and food is equal to love. Picture a baby being breast fed (or bottle-fed). The love which is at the heart of this feed is raw and deep. We might only with difficulty move away from this memory later in life by separating the need for food from the emotional comfort!
The cycle of overeating moves from fear to the need for protection as we run away from our feelings. We feel insecure, then self-rejection and ultimately, we seek fulfilment. Food acts emotionally to supress our real feelings and, the more we eat, the less we feel. At the same time, we build a wall around ourselves that few people can penetrate.
Have a look at Jorge Cruise’s book,  ”The Belly Fat Cure”, which states we eat far too much sugar — no surprise I hear you say! In the 19th century, we consumed an average of about 13 grams of sugar compared to today’s 285 grams per person per day, an extra 2000% or so — where is that needed? Certainly not around our belly.

​New publications on food and diet are produced weekly by people with a passion, a brilliant mind and a caring heart to try persuade us to reduce this high sugar intake. According to Dr Eric Berg, we only need two teaspoons of glucose in our body’s bloodstream; anything more is detrimental to the body’s metabolism.
Losing weight happens through a deep shift in attitude, starting with an acceptance of ourselves for who we are. Without giving ourselves the love we long for and introducing some form of self-discipline, you will be choosing to live a lifetime of discomfort with premature death.
We need for us and our children to focus on the importance of healthy eating, regular exercise and grateful awareness of our miraculous bodies and how to support them for good health. I fully endorse Dr Christine Northrup when she says: “Hope, self-esteem and education are the most important factors in creating health daily”.
So let us all say together with Louise L. Hay: ”I am at peace with my own feelings. I am safe where I am. I create my own security. I love and approve of myself”. Now look in the mirror at the most beautiful and perfect image of a smiling you.
 
Lis Horwich