Intergrative Nutrition

Page 189

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knowledge that they need not suffer. In fact, many of my clients and students could probably have worked out their problems on their own, without my help, if they were willing to put as much attention and intelligence into their own healthcare as they do into their professional lives. But this rarely happens. Society, culture and media all shift people away from caring for their own health, drawing the focus away from what’s “inside here,” to what’s “out there.” Fashion, the lives of celebrities and gossip take precedence over our own physical health and well-being. I like to remind my students to love and respect themselves and to take time to listen to the needs of their bodies, minds and souls. I teach people to notice the issues that are troubling them, and then invest time and energy into fixing them. Our method makes people focus on themselves and address the issues that are bothering them. Once this happens, the solution is usually quite obvious, and the person with the answers is usually the individual, not the professional. But having that person there, a trained listener who is devoted to helping them get better, is how people discover their answers.

-P[[PUN 6\[ One of the more powerful ways we can free ourselves from the matrix is to learn to “fit out” rather than trying to always “fit in.” We are all susceptible to the age-old social pressure to conform, be accepted and keep up with the Joneses. Who cares about the Joneses? This need to fit in keeps us locked into the matrix, which pushes for a poor diet and fast foods. Its illusions push us to work harder, relying on addictive stimulants, like coffee, sugar and cigarettes. As a slave to our own ambitions, we feel compelled to push forward with all our life force. Getting off this treadmill requires a willingness to stand on our own and disregard others’ opinions. I am personally sensitive to this tendency because, being raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, I grew up with a need to fit in, not attract unnecessary attention, and pretend I was just like everyone else. That’s why it’s easy for me to spot the same tendency in others. I have noticed when people shift to significantly different lifestyles, they sometimes try to hide it or play it down for similar reasons. So as you’re starting to make healthier food choices or quit


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