The "Either Or" Conundrum

My clients, my family and my friends are forever asking me to weigh in on choices, be it lifestyle, foodstuffs or exercise. There seem to be an endless stream of choices and we seem to be increasingly anxious about making the right one.

Sugar or sweetner, xylitol or stevia, water or fruit juice, acid diet or high protein diet, which one should we chose?

The first thing that makes me draw my eyebrows at these questions, is the anxiety and need around being right. We seem to be a generation living in fear of getting it wrong, choosing poorly and then suffering for it.

The fear and anxiety in itself sets off a myriad of biochemical responses in the body, upping your stress levels and pushing adrenaline into your system. This in turn slows or shuts down your digestive system, hampers your ability to think with clarity and logic and instantly makes your environment seem more threatening and your ability to choose more difficult.

I cant help but wonder if this is a result of the school examination system, where not remembering everything perfectly for exams is considered a mark of intelligence and "worthiness"

Of course the problem with exams and the need to be right is that we forget there is never really a concrete "right" for anything or anyone.

I can assure you, if you choose something your body does not like, you will soon know.

We are in an ever change state of flux, our body fluids and hormonal levels change, our temperature changes, our molecular and dietary needs change from day to day. Some days you are cold and need a jumper and some days you are warm and need to be swimming in the cool blue ocean.

Some days you need more sugar and some days you need more salt. You may find you love olive oil on your salads and coconut oil in your curry.

I encourage you to let go of the notion that one thing is always better than another. Try instead to tune into your system, see what works for you here and now.

There is so much information out there and I have found, if you look closely enough you will find just as much positive material about a foodstuff, lifestyle or diet as you will bad.

You are unique, your choices should reflect as much.

Your body is always meant to be in balance, as are your emotions. The closer you are to balance, the closer to health. Remember that death is as a result of extreme and irreversible loss of homeostasis.

So, the age old adage of moderation is key is 100% spot on. Where you indulge, seek to balance it out elsewhere. If you haven't been to gym in months, try walk a little more every day or challenge yourself to 15 minutes a day exercise, 3 x a week, then 5 x a week etc. If you've over indulged in alcohol one day, drink more water the next to support your system. Been binging on pizza and pasa? Make 2 days a week clean eating days and give your body a chance to do what it does best - heal and find balance.