Rejecting popular wellness rules was key to healing my relationship with food and my body, after years of battling myself and breaking down my health.
A lot of common health recommendations are the exact opposite of what’s worked for me and my health coaching clients.
When I decided to only listen to my intuition instead of seeking out new regimens from experts, I was finally able to stop restricting and overeating altogether.
I built profound trust and love within my body, safety with food, and delight in my life.
Today I’m sharing five popular wellness rules I had to reject to heal my body, and that I generally don’t recommend for my coaching clients.
#3 is probably the most surprising, but all of them turn “wellness” on its head.
Important note: Everyone is different, and this is not specific advice for any one reader. This is just what’s worked for me and most of my clients over the past 10 years as a health coach.
This is an invitation to question the rules – even the ones everyone’s raving about – and listen to your body.
Including specific examples from my own life and my health coaching practice is the best way I can illustrate this, and hopefully inspire you to question the wellness world and trust your body above all else.
1. Load up on raw greens at every meal.
Raw vegetables can be very difficult to digest, especially if you already struggle with digestion.
Many experts recommend big raw salads for everyone, and claim that they digest the easiest, but for myself and many clients, the exact opposite is true.
The digestive system has to work hard to warm up and break down raw veggies. If you’re dealing with digestive issues – or any health issues – you want to focus your meals around cooked foods.
If you’re struggling with IBS or another issue, you may even need to go light on vegetables altogether for a while, or stick to cooked, easy-to-break down veggies.
Big salads have always upset my stomach and left me feeling bloated, so eating cooked veggies most of the time made a huge difference in my digestive system.
2. Get your superfood smoothies in.
Years ago I had a dental procedure and could only eat soft foods. I was living in New York City, and it was the middle of winter.
On my way up to work in the Flatiron District, I would grab a smoothie at Juice Generation almost every day for that week. They tasted great and seemed like a good option after my procedure.
That week, I noticed I felt more bloated than ever, and my skin started breaking out for the first time in a while.
Similar to cold salads, cold smoothies with lots of ingredients can be really hard to digest, since they essentially put out your digestive fire, causing digestive upset and sluggishness.
While smoothies may seem like the most nutritious breakfast or snack, they simply don’t work well for lots of people. A warm breakfast of eggs or oatmeal may be a better option.
3. Avoid sugar like the plague.
When I was fighting with myself and struggling in my relationship with food, I had strong, frequent sugar cravings.
When I stopped restricting and gave my body a chance to rebuild and remineralize, I stopped having intense sugar cravings.
I could eat sugar sometimes without needing it all the time, and I could leave part of a dessert on the plate, or have a tray of desserts in front of me and pass altogether.
A lot of experts say no one should be eating sugar, and that it’s one of the worst things for your health. I believe that sugar can be a healthy part of life, and that many sugar addictions stem from restriction.
Sugar is the perfect forbidden fruit, and the more we restrict it, the more we may crave it. When it’s just another option you can have any time – if you truly want it – I’ve found that cravings drastically decrease.
Our bodies are so smart, and when you’re not restricting, you probably won’t crave excessive sugar.
4. Keep fried food to a minimum.
When I was struggling with food and body image, I always tried to minimize fried food.
Then, because I was being restrictive, I would eventually wind up overeating it and feeling sick.
When I committed to intuitive eating and started allowing myself to eat whatever I want, in whatever quantity I want, whenever I want, I didn’t crave fried food as often.
Fried food is hard to digest, especially when we eat too much of it or have a chaotic relationship with it.
Many people feel anxious when they have French fries in front of them – especially those struggling with food and body image – and that can trigger a stress response, which interferes with digestion.
When you eat fried food in the right amount for your unique body, with a light and loving attitude, it can be grounding and calming.
Ingredient quality and cooking temperature are key here – you want to be using good ingredients and high quality, high smoke point oils.
5. Vegetables are the most important food group.
Years of yo-yo’ing with food and my weight did a serious number on my blood sugar and hormones.
The most important food groups for balancing my blood sugar and rebuilding my health have been protein – especially red meat – fats, carbs, and fiber from sources like beans and whole grains.
Vegetables have been the least important part of my healing. If I eat a meal that’s mostly vegetables, I won’t feel satisfied – physically or mentally.
Women menstruate every month, birth babies, and have significant hormonal shifts throughout each month. We need hearty food, not rabbit food.
Vegetables are important, but they’re not the holy grail they’re often painted as.
If you’re eating plant-based and having low energy, anemia, digestive issues, or other mysterious symptoms, you may want to prioritize other food groups and let vegetables be a side dish.
Are there any popular wellness rules that don’t work for you?
I would be so, so curious to hear from you in the comments below.
Much love,
Lula