Article written by Daniel Max, Holistic Health Counselor, Yoga Instructor, Shiatsu Practitioner, owner of Sense of Self

In modern-day culture, being healthy is commonly associated with dieting. This is somewhat ironic since most diets leave us starved emotionally or physically. How did we come to believe that struggle and deprivation equal vitality and health?

Delving into the history of dieting, we can discover why diets have not worked well for us and how we continue to get caught up in their cycle.

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the cultural increase in weight gain, our solution was a low-calorie/ low-fat diet. The assumption was that cutting out all fats would resolve our weight issues. Thankfully, the body’s natural intelligence prevented us from starving ourselves to death and we began to experience strong cravings for fat and sugar. Deprived of fuel for energy we craved sugar. The craving for fat was the body's natural attempt to stabilize the erratic blood sugar levels that were being created by a fat-free diet. Furthermore, fat cravings intensified due to the lacking feeling of comfort and fullness that only fat would satisfy.

A severely limited calorie intake led to bingeing on fats and sugars. Contrary to what we believe, cravings and binges are not an indication of being flawed or weak. Binges are extreme responses to measures of restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.

Finding ourselves back in the cycle of fats and sugars, we turned to the high protein diet. This “worked” for a while, but since the body needs carbohydrates to stay balanced, we once again found ourselves bingeing on the carbs.

As a solution, the high carb diet was created. What seemed a well balanced idea, ended up sky-rocketing our cholesterol levels. The result:  the low cholesterol diet was born, bringing back the low-fat diet. And so the cycle continues. Years later these diets have returned altered with modern food supply. Although historically unsuccessful, each of them continues to be heralded as the new greatest diet.

The restrictive aspect of dieting calls our body to respond in a rebound fashion, craving whatever the diet was lacking. Each diet came to pass as a response to the nutritional imbalance created by the previous diet.

Studies are showing that 98% of the weight lost while dieting is gained back in three to five years. Most commonly within the first year.

A diet marketed to an entire population has us believe that we are all the same “machine.” The truth is that each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle. Furthermore, diets don’t work because they are extreme solutions. If a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the opposite side.

Breaking The Diet Cycle:

1. Take things slow: Step out of the extremes and don’t expect to change your eating habits all at once. Quick fixes do not help you achieve life-long health and happiness. By gradually introducing new and healthful foods and activities into your lifestyle, you will start to feel better. This will sustain healthy habits and naturally crowd out the less healthy ones.
2. Return to the basics: For thousands of years we lived well on all natural whole foods. As our health is globally deteriorating, we create foods that are less and less natural to try to resolve our health issues. You can’t solve a problem with the same mindset that created it.
3.  Moderation and rotation: Imagine trying to express yourself fully in a language in which you know only a limited number of words. Similarly, if you eat the same foods every day, your body will only recognize certain nutrients and will not get all it needs for your cells to interact correctly.
4. Go all natural: In our attempts to live a healthy life, we have forgotten one important nutrient: life. Dieting has taught us to rely on synthetic versions of “food” mixed with chemicals to minimize our caloric intake. Consuming items such as artificial sweeteners simply leaves your pallet craving for more sweetness as well as for the nutrients you never received. Artificial sweeteners, hazardous to your health, can also increase your appetite and your sugar binges.
5.  Food will fill you, but it will not fulfill you: Raise your vibration! Engage in activities that feed your sense of purpose in life. The more you work towards a goal of living each day with a sense of purpose, the less tempting instant gratification becomes.
   
6. Just say yes: No deprivation does not mean that you can eat whatever you want at any given time. It means that the more you nourish your soul, the more you will develop a stronger connection as to why you are choosing not to eat whatever is preventing you from being good to yourself. Passing on unhealthy temptation is no longer about saying no, but about saying yes to your true self. Always say yes - saying no to temptation is saying yes to yourself. Eat natural foods and nourish your soul on a daily basis.