FOOD = PLEASURE
Since I joined the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, I’ve gotten quite a few hilarious remarks from friends and colleagues.
“I know, I know, it’s not gluten-free” as they bite into a deliciously overstuffed Italian sub.
“Oh, is that place like *whispering* vegan?” as I suggest where to have dinner.
“Don’t judge me” as they order the juicy rib-eye.
Let me be clear, I believe in PLEASURE. Everything we do should be motivated by pleasure, by the desire to feel good. This is how I live my life and this is the core principle of my health coaching practice.
Now some of you are probably scratching your head going “but aren’t you like all about gluten-free, dairy-free, pleasure-free food? “
Absolutely not.
First of all, I’m the first person to take the occasional nose-dive into a large pepperoni pizza. I mean, hi, heavennnnnn.
I NEVER eat anything that doesn’t give me pleasure. Life is just too short for that.
It just goes like this:
Sometimes, we seek instant gratification pleasure: a one night stand, time off from willpower, a trip to a 5 star French restaurant, a night on the couch with a bucket of ice cream. And that’s just what we need that day.
Sometimes, we seek other types of pleasures, more long-term pleasures like endurance, power, vitality, lightness and connection. For me, choosing to eat that salad instead of the grilled cheese is choosing fuel instead of a food coma. For me, choosing to bake with rice flour instead of wheat is choosing between feeling good now and feeling good later.
When I eat gluten-free, it is because I am honoring my body’s vulnerability. When I eat dairy-free, it is because I want to feel light and open. When I eat vegan, it is because I want to feel connection to and compassion for the world around me.
And for me, it’s one big dance. I dance between feasting on a huge steak and green juicing, I dance between my own needs and the needs of the environment around me. I dance between that instant gratification and that long-term happiness that comes with health. Some weeks, I’m more vegan than others. Some weeks I get lost in the land of gluten and dairy and have a hard time returning. Shit happens.
When you work with me, this is what I strive to do. To find the rhythm of your dance. To find what works for you: How do you want to feel? And how can we make it happen? Everyone wants to feel pleasure, but what that means for you is different than what it means to me.
If you’re interested in dancing with me through the aisles of a health food store, around the tables of an Italian restaurant and through the streets of life, contact me at sexysirenliving@gmail.com for a free initial health consult.
Together, we will find the rhythm to your pleasure dance. And I’ll never MAKE you eat kale if you don’t want to.