On our very first night at the dinner table my Dad says "OK, no diets this week."
We all laughed, fantasizing about the rich and delicious Mexican cuisine that surrounded us. And then, I was stricken by this thought:

Why do we accept that our only choices are to either diet or overeat?

In my line of work, I meet many people who are in a constant battle with these two forces. In my past experience, the minute I promised myself that the diet would start on Monday ( that's when they all start, isn't it? ), I'd immediately forget about eating well in the present moment. This would lead to overindulging and overeating. It's like I was in this secret club that knew the rules. If I had the knowledge that I would diet later, I had some kind of strange permission to eat more NOW.

I sit with clients every day who ask me about portion control:

"Tell me how much to eat, Darshana!"
"What is a serving size?"
"How much is too much?"

I feel fortunate that this way of thinking doesn't plague me or my actions anymore, but I know the story well.

As a food coach it's puzzling… have we really lost touch?

Lost touch with….ourselves?

How can another person really tell YOU how much to eat?

When I investigate this question with clients, I first look at WHAT the client is eating.

Is it a diet of mainly junk food, snacks, candy and alcohol? Are they eating little or no veggies, no whole grains, bad quality fats and proteins?

If this is the case, the first step is to support the client to eat a more wholesome diet.

When we start to actually feed ourselves the nutrients our body needs, the overeating actually subsides on its own.

Because we actually FEEL and ARE satisfied.

But I know it doesn't end there. Even after transitioning to a whole foods diet, 10 years ago, I still tended to overeat. I definitely felt different and a lot of my physical health concerns had cleared up, but deeper emotional "issues" remained. I had to restrain myself from making amazing "healthy" desserts, but then eating more than I needed because "they just tasted so good."

I finally learned to listen to my stomach when it said "OK DARSH! Enough Food." This meant that I needed to TRUST MYSELF and MY BODY.

It took practice and believe me, it still isn't easy to stop when that little voice speaks up, but it is there…

…Inside all of us - really!

In my opinion, its not about fighting that voice but about becoming friends with it. And about learning to unlearn the rules of restraint and the need to overindulge that often comes with that mentality.

The question is: do we want to listen to that inner voice that really has our health in mind, or not?

And believe me, it's OK if you aren't there yet. Just being in the question and allowing yourself to find your own answers about dieting and overeating will be much more satisfying than accepting a new set of "rules" just because you read it in this newsletter.

I don't want to make more rules. I want the Fruition Health Community to feel freedom when it comes to food. To feel like they can go on vacation or out to dinner and to know that they are in touch with their body.

So if you overeat and then your next thought is to do a juice fast the next day, be grateful for your realization, have a sense of humor, and then make an informed choice. Maybe the best thing to do IS a juice fast, but know that you have the education, intuition and intelligence to work through this without harm to yourself or without feeling wrong for overindulging.

This is liberating and empowering and I know you can all do it.

For more support in learning to listen more deeply join us for our bi-monthly yoga classes.

For more information check out http://www.fruitionhealth.com/services_calendar.html

Or join us for the spring cleanse. Details below.

THE FRUITION WOMEN’S HEALTH LOCAL GROUP PROGRAM - If you had a great time and learned a lot in your one-on-one fruition program and want a refresher…Or if you have never participated due to timing or money but have always wanted to, this is your chance to learn about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. Click here for details: http://www.fruitionhealth.com/services_local.html

FRUITION WOMEN’S HEALTH SPRING CLEANSE 2007 - Lighten up this spring with healthy nutrition, yoga and a lots of support. Click here to find out how: http://www.fruitionhealth.com/index.html

WOMEN’S YOGA CLASS - Yoga is a practice for everyone—regardless of size, shape or overall health. Fruition now offers a women-only yoga class! Click here for more info: http://www.fruitionhealth.com/index.html