“Are you on a diet?”
“Are you going on a diet?”
“What diet are you on?”
“Are you allowed that on your diet?”
Where to start with diets? There are just so many out there promising so much! There is a veritable multitude to choose from: low-cholesterol diets, high-protein muscle gain diets, weight loss diets, beach body diets, fitness diets, sickness diets, allergy diets, alkaline diets, blood group diets, Mediterranean diets, Japanese diets, South Beach diets, spaceman diets, caveman diets, sugar-free diets, salt-free diets, raw food diets, no food diets, pet food diets..
It’s an overwhelming and potentially confusing endeavour, dieting. So, here deep in the warm, comforting, pulsating heart of Happy M Kitchen at our Sublime Centre for Infinite Creativity and Excellence (we actually just call it the kitchen) we take a very considered approach to the food that we cook for ourselves and our customers.
Just by looking at the amount of different diets out there we can see that people have so many different reasons for dieting, and yet all of them seem to have the same goal: to make us feel better. However, for many the experience of dieting is one that can have the opposite effect. Ever heard comments like this: “I tried it but I couldn’t stick with it.” or “I finished the diet but then I went on a big binge!” This is a very common occurrence, and it happens when people try and eat in a way that, in one way or another, is not comfortable for them. When we eat food that is truly satisfying us though, it is an effortless endeavour. When our daily meals and snacks give us all the energy, vitality, and pleasure that we need to go about our daily lives without either weighing us down with accumulated excess, or using up our vital energy and resources trying to get rid of it, then we really have found the key to a truly healthy diet: consistency.
Of course, on occasion it is great to give the digestive system a complete break with a short fast or cleanse, and in fact we now know that periods of fasting actually trigger us to grow more intelligence cells in the brain! This is a survival mechanism that we have evolved, as when food is scarce, we need to be extra smart. It is also believed to be the reason behind why many spiritual and religious practices advocate fasting as a way to attain greater mental clarity.
When it comes to our daily meals, however, we need to create healthy habits; we need to choose a dietary model that is something we can see ourselves enjoying without trouble for a year, two years, ten years, because when we settle into a consistent way of eating our bodies really thrive. Plant-based meals are without doubt the best way to get the rich array of nutrients that we need, 
and they also give us an endless choice of flavours, textures, bright colours and tempting aromas, and because of this wonderful combination they really make consistent healthy eating very, very easy. Also, when we get a good rhythm to our eating habits, by having regular mealtimes for example, then our body can actually start to prepare itself better to receive food, by “setting the inner table” shall we say. The same can be said of when the body comes to expect and rely on a consistently high quality intake of nutrients from our diet, then it gets better and better at using them, more and more efficient at keeping you healthy, and that efficiency saves you energy, and that energy.. well, that is your gift, to do with what you wish!
But let’s not forget one other important factor: “Everything in moderation, including moderation” To have consistency you must have the flexibility to enjoy yourself and go with the flow, because one of the beauties of consistency is more freedom, and when we know we have regular, healthy, satisfying, vibrant food to look forward to we can enjoy our favourite treats even more – meaning to a greater degree, not with greater regularity, otherwise we’ll end up needing to go on one of those mad diets!
So keep it exciting, and satisfying, and steady, and regular, come and enjoy our food!!!
/Jack
Ps. Book the Master Class ”Detox Every Day” on the 22 of October, to learn how to cook happy healthy food with Jack!