Continued discovery and growth...
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Checking in, once again…my third month of conscious eating, experimenting with expansion of my diet, and the eye-opening process of reintroducing foods… a process that began with the elimination diet we started early April and quickly become a new way of relating to food, a new way of experiencing life. Wow, what a journey it’s been…
The BIG news for me this month, was that I ate out for the first time in three months. I must say it was a bit nerve wracking to even think of eating out – what could I find that was suitable to my restrictions, what about contamination, etc. I decided it was important, at this point, to allow myself to step into the challenge, to focus on what I could eat… and to trust, knowing that my body would heal if there was a reaction. Fortunately, I was with people who were understanding and supportive and were totally cool with allowing me to look at the menu in a restaurant and then walk to find another option when that didn’t feel right. We ended up at Thrive on Roosevelt and I must say, it couldn’t have been a better place to reintroduce the experience of eating out. The man helping me was super helpful in listening to the list of foods I am staying away from, at the moment, and talking through the possibilities I’d identified on the menu to discuss ALL the ingredients in the dish. Turns out that with the combination of lemon, tomatoes, and soy, there wasn’t anything on the menu that I could eat, aside from a coconutty drink (which, by the way, I highly recommend), so he offered to make me something, working with what they had in the fridge. He took it as a personal challenge and whipped up an amazing dish that made me rejoice. It was a beautifully presented bowl of various greens adorned with raspberries, strawberries, and walnuts, all on top of a bed of quinoa. He’d also mixed a dressing for me, which I sadly had to pass on because I wasn’t sure of how I’d react to the nutritional yeast he’d included… Really, I could not have dreamed of a better meal for my first time eating out. Two thumbs up for Thrive!
I was reminded, through my experience at Thrive, that an important component of this whole process is being able to communicate and share our experiences, to ask questions, of ourselves and others, and to listen, to learn from and support one another. I was touched when, after we’d talked through the menu, the man helping me asked what kind of reactions I have to food. He listened intently and than thanked me, saying that he was paying attention to his relationship with food and learns a lot from other people. Little did he realize that his question also benefited me by allowing me the space to share, openly. It also reminded me how incredibly fortunate I feel to have this forum! Here’s an immense thanks to Tiffany for facilitating and everyone in the Eating for Evolution community for sharing, ‘listening’, and supporting, as we all grow together.
In the last month I have successfully reintroduced eggs, diary, oats, and yeast. Oh – what a treat it was to be able to have Millet bread again! There’s just something about the consistency of bread (even GF bread!) that is comforting to me.
I have also experimented with reintroducing sugar into my diet. It started with the Agave Nectar last month and has expanded to date sugar and occasional evaporated cane sugar (as an ingredient in something). The later I am monitoring more closely as I feel I am much better without sugar in my diet. Coconut date rolls – whoa, I didn’t realize what I’d been missing all these years – those rock!
Balance and moderation… it’s a continual process, isn’t it?!?!
Thoroughly embracing and enjoying this continuing experience of discovery and growth…
3 Responses
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Superb, Tiffany… I loved what you shared about being vehicles for the evolution of consciousness first and allowing everything else to be guided and influenced by this light.
I would be interested in further dialog on this, as we all strive, in our own way to both understand and embrace our core Being and existence as vehicles for evolution. In discussion with a friend the other day it became very clear to me that this whole experience of reacquainting myself with food through the elimination diet has been, for me, about healing at a deeper level, about reacquainting myself with the body I have been given on this plane and learning to listen and make choices that enable its optimal function. Did I realize that when I began the elimination diet – no way, it is something that surfaced through the experience, as part of an ongoing process of more consistently relating to life through the lens of Consciousness. That being said, I definitely still have a lot to learn and changes to embrace more completely, but that’s what’s so cool about the process, it is ongoing.
This break I have been reading Gary Zukav’s book SEAT OF THE SOUL. I resonated deeply with an example he gave in the chapter on choice, which falls in line with what you wrote, and what we’ve been discussing in previous blog posts. He mentioned how often, in our spiritual growth, we may experience a shift in our relationship to food and nutrition. That even if 90% of our Being resists this change, that the 10% of us that identifies with Spirit (he uses Universe) will be such a strong drawing force for change that we will not be able to stop the momentum. The underlying message being that the Universe supports our deepest, most core, intentions. I think back to some of the other posts I have read and am reminded many of us have experienced, are experiencing, or will experience this, in our own way, as we learn about and expand our relationship with food, nutrition, and ourselves, one step at a time.
The idea you mention, of being vehicles for the evolution of consciousness first…that’s so REAL, and critical!! Thanks for the reminder!
I hope more people will share their experience…
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That is good book.. The Seat of the Soul.
I went on a hike today and was listening to Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (audio book). It is a fantastic book…. if you have not read it I highly recommend it. Anyways, I was thinking about how we really are in the midst of creating a “new food culture.” Its quite exciting really.
We don’t want to (and really can’t at this point) all go back to working farms, but at the same time, we are so disconnected from the food.. and in some ways this equals disconnect from the life force itself. So we need to move forward and get very interested and curious about how to connect ourselves more fully with good wholesome food and with.
It sounds like the ED provided an opportunity for you to take that on! Its really awesome to read. To know that that served as a way for you to tune in, slow down, pay attention, and respond consciously. I love it!
This year I am planting and steadily tending to my little garden. This is serving as beautiful reminder of what it means to cultivate and to care for something that does not provide instant gratification.
I will write more about this as it develops.
Love,
Tif
Great Emily. There really is a balance that is discovered as we move forward with sheer awareness and curiosity. And it is harder than it sounds as we grow in culture that is quite neurotic about food. I have seen the (neurotic) movement in myself manifest in many ways.. including the guise of trying to have a “healthy” relationship with food.
Amber and I have been talking about and exploring what it means to focus on being vehicles for the evolution of consciousness first… and then seeing how this affects all of the seemingly mundane life choices. And we start to see that Spirit, or the best and deepest part of ourselves, truly prefers that which is most vital and most life supportive. To the degree that am putting my attention on that part of myself is to the free that I am able to extricate myself from the “food fights” within :).
Its awesome that Thrive turned out so great! I almost went there this evening in fact… love the place.
Keep healing the gut and being present with meals and I suspect you will be able to add in more and more food categories as time goes on.
Love,
Tif