Liberate Yourself from Nutritional Confusion

Here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, we’re committed to addressing the most compelling food and eating related concerns of our time, but there’s one syndrome that affects so many people, and yet has received almost no attention from the media or the medical community. We think it’s time to rectify that situation! If you are one of the thousands who suffer from Nutritional Confusion, look no further. In this insightful new video from #IPE, Marc David, founder of the Institute, explains what causes Nutritional Confusion and how to prevent your symptoms from recurring!

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Below is a transcript of this week’s video:

Greetings friends, this is Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating.

Today’s Topic: Liberate Yourself from Nutritional Confusion

Some people deal with digestive issues, some with fatigue, some with constant nagging health complaints, while others do battle with extra weight.

Of all the food and nutrition related challenges I watch people face, one of the most underrated yet struggle-some is this: Nutritional Confusion.

Let me tell you some of the symptoms of this odd condition, and see if you can relate, or if you know anyone who falls into this diagnostic category.

Nutritional Confusion is often accompanied by:

• A constant search for the perfect diet and the one true way to eat
• An excessive amount of nutrition and health-related books on your shelf, many of which are unread
• A constant wondering inside your head about why a scientific expert can say one thing, while others say the exact opposite – and everyone says they have scientific proof
• An ongoing experience of putting your belief and trust in a specific nutritional approach, only to be disappointed
• Hearing “voices” in your head that tell you conflicting advice about what you should and shouldn’t eat
• Frustration
• And a secret desire to just give up and eat whatever you want

Simply put, nutritional confusion isn’t any fun, and when we reside in this state there’s seemingly no way out.

Oddly enough, such confusion tends to cause stress, which is a psychophysiologic state that’s associated with elevated cortisol and insulin levels, which tend to cause weight gain, fat storage, decreased muscle building, and inability to lose weight. What’s more, the stress response decreases digestive and assimilative capacity, increases nutrient excretion, can directly cause all kinds of digestive distress such as bloating, heartburn, and gas, and can overall lead to weakened immunity, brain function, energy level, and all kinds of metabolic woes.

So, we owe it to ourselves to create an ongoing experience of life where self-chosen stressors are minimized, and confusion is replaced with something more timeless and wise that elevates both our levels of inner peace, and our metabolic world.

Here are 4 simple steps to help you liberate yourself from nutritional confusion:

Step #1 – Get Over It and Embrace Uncertainty

We live in a time where there exists no widespread agreement around the best way to eat. Nutritional science and medical science are vastly divided fields. Experts argue and disagree. Scientific studies will contradict one another. Some people will have amazing results following a particular nutritional protocol, while others will see no benefits, and might even be worse off. These are the times we live in. Nations war, politicians argue about who is right and wrong about the economy, and nutrition experts duke it out for who has the best diet. Welcome to planet Earth. Relax into uncertainty rather than walk around all confused. Be dignified in the face of the unknown. Get over it – you won’t always have the perfect answers to your questions. This is how the world is.

Step #2 – Be A Nutritional Explorer

Instead of looking for the perfect way to eat, experiment with being a nutrition explorer. Be your own curious scientist. Try different diets. Use different supplements. Try the latest cleanse. Talk to friends. Read books. And take it all with a grain of salt, stop being so serious, and start living in a world of possibility. If you really want to find the perfect way to eat that trumps all others, there are plenty of people who’ll be happy to say that they’ve found the way. And maybe they have – for their body, and at this time. Just be open to the biologic reality that things change, we change, the body changes, and life is always about adjusting to new conditions.

Step #3 – Stop Trying To Fix Yourself

One of the reasons so many of us end up in a state of nutritional confusion and upset is because we’re looking for a fix. Something in us seems to be broken – our health, our energy, our digestion, our fat burning metabolism – and so we expect any new dietary approach we try to save us. Of course we need to do whatever we can to heal the body of its ailments. But we also need to come to the healing journey with a sense of dignity, maturity, humility, and oftentimes, patience. When we expect food or nutrition to save us, it’s easy to feel disappointed. If you feel like your body has victimized you, then disappointment is often predictable. Life is asking us to rise to the occasion when we are facing a health or weight challenge. It’s asking us to not only heal the body, but to learn whatever deeper lessons our body and its ailments are here to teach us. You’re not broken. You’re a whole human being going through a journey with the body.

And finally, Step #4 – Remember

We often forget that no matter what we eat, the final result will, at some point, look like someone burying us in the ground. Sorry. Even if you found the perfect diet, you’re still headed to the same destination. I’m not trying to be a downer here, I’m just reminding you that life is short, and it’s good to remember the deeper reasons why we’re here. Connecting with a higher power puts things in perspective. You bet good nutrition is important, and excellent health is a beautiful and necessary priority. But accessing the part of us that’s indestructible, timeless, and that’s born from love may be one of the biggest nutritional gifts we could ever give ourselves.

I hope this was helpful my friends.