Lately, I’ve been talking and thinking about harms reduction. My great friend, V Capaldi (aka Paleo BOSS Lady) stayed at my farm recently and we were able to compare notes on the work we do and what is most helpful to people. Harms reduction is a centerpiece of what we do. Read on to see what I mean.
Here’s what I see all the time—women frozen into inaction. I’ve been there too. Many make the assumption that because they can’t do something perfectly, they are better off not doing it at all.
Do you see this in your own life? You are busy with family, career, and other commitments and you feel like you don’t have the time and resolve to eat for better focus, energy, productivity, and health. So, you just keep doing what you are doing and you know it’s dragging you down.
Does it feel overwhelming because you know you can’t do it perfectly and don’t even know where to start? Do you know you do not have the time to figure this all out? Maybe you feel like you’ve been there, done that and ….. you failed.
Maybe you see eating for better health, focus, energy, and productivity as a life filled with terrible tasting food and no joy. I can certainly understand avoiding that and I am happy to tell you that is not the case at all.
I see this “perfect or nothing attitude” manifest as huge roadblocks for clients and even more for “want to be” clients. I wrote a blog post a while back called Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Better that speaks to this. If you feel stuck in inaction because you know you can’t or don’t want to do it all perfectly, check it out.
Here’s the thing. Perfect doesn’t exist. Let’s all be thankful for that. There is no one perfect eating plan and we are not engineered for perfection. Trying to fit your imperfect self into some artificial mold of perfection is a recipe for disaster–and for giving up.
It’s a model built on suffering, atonement, judgment, starvation, and punishment. It’s about beating yourself up. We are trained to do this. There are a million quick fixes and extreme diet plans out there. Ultimately, we fail and blame ourselves. Since it is our fault, we are easily sucked into the next diet culture scheme. Stop blaming yourself and stop trying to beat your body into submission.
Stop comparing yourself to some idea of perfection that doesn’t exist.
I urge you to educate yourself about your body, your food, and what is perfect for you. Food can be nourishing, comforting, celebratory, sour, healing, delicious, sweet, and everything in between. Real life isn’t about perfection, but it is about self-love. I teach women how to get their energy, focus, productivity, and health back by NOURISHING themselves.
When we act on a basis of self-love, we find peace with our bodies and peace with food…….and find our health.
Where does harms reduction come into this? Harms reduction means I help clients enjoy the foods they love while working their way up a food quality continuum that makes sense for them. Because it’s not about perfection and we will not behave perfectly (whatever that is).
To start eating and feeling better, you do not have to have it all together. We can all be improving all the time.
Here are some concrete examples of how harms reduction helps clients:
Love chips? Harms reduction means I help you locate what to look for in a better chip to satisfy that craving without driving up inflammation and getting dosed with toxins.
Is sugar your drug of choice? That means we work on slowly turning that around by moving toward healthier (sweeteners with nutritive value instead of being nutrient bandits) and fewer sweeteners.
Can’t live without tacos but dairy and tomatoes make you feel terrible? I’ve got you. Where’s there’s a will, there’s a way (and a tasty taco too)!
We all start somewhere and we all lead real, imperfect lives. And real, healthier food is delicious. I promise. Food is magical and powerful. It is to be enjoyed. Feeling better is not about deprivation and suffering.
If you are ready to get your food education started and to uncover REAL WORLD ways to feel better, think better, be productive, and get your energy back, please book a FREE 60-minute Breakthrough Session with me.