Right, But Not Right for Us

We have all the clinical data in the world, but it’s meaningless if it’s not aligned with what our body actually needs.

Photo by Alexandra Tran on Unsplash

                                                     

I have been on a strict diet for more than two decades. Initially, it was reduced in portion. Over time, it became selective and gradually became a habit. Frankly, I was very proud of myself for being disciplined and being able to maintain a healthy weight. Having worked in the slimming industry before made me confident that I’m doing something right.

I even treated myself successfully for certain conditions using supplements, as I prefer the natural way. Traditional Chinese medicine and natural alternatives have always gained interest in me, but it feels too complicated to go deep into it.

I consider myself a health-conscious person. I thought I knew everything, but it turned out that the habits I had developed over the years were slowly killing me. To my understanding, whole foods are healthier, and more energy is needed to digest them — which helps to feel full longer, hence weight management. Dairy products, cold, raw meat and salad, al dente, cold drinks, whole foods, and more — while these may be nutritional with many benefits, they’re useless if our body can’t absorb any of them.

Recently, due to gum infection and toothache, I was unable to eat any solid foods. So, when I was searching for different types of recipes for my diet, I ended up learning about my body type through the TCM lens. Honestly, it is not fun at all to not be able to eat freely as before. But because of this, my body has a chance to heal from years of being overworked.

We treat a food coma like it’s normal. It’s actually the body signalling something is wrong.

I have been on a “zero chew” diet for days now — which was initially for my gums and tooth problem. In the end, my overall energy has improved, digestion is better, bloatedness is reduced, my body feels lighter, and there is less brain fog. I have to say, it’s truly a blessing in disguise. I can’t be on a soft diet for this long, if not because of the oral problems that I’m having now.

We can have all the information, clinical data, evidence — thinking we know everything. In the end, they are meaningless if they’re not right for us.

Originally published on Medium in the publication ILLUMINATION.