Balance Is Not Easy
Balance Is Not Easy
Balance is hard.
Why is it important to strike balance? If we rid ourselves of the internal chatter (noise) that goes on in our brain - if we are able to be still - we can make decisions that come from a stable framework with strong roots.
As an individual, I strive to figure out what balance means for me. Whether it be in work, friendships, exercise, or food…the list can go on and on, discovering and implementing ways to balance one’s life is a tough formula to master. It is one that requires self-analysis (looking inward), patience, and repetition. And repetition. And repetition…
A Balanced Diet
I have always had an all-or-nothing approach to food. For example, this month, it’s no carbs or sugar. This year, I intermittent fast every weekday until 1 PM… even if that means that I am so hungry my blood sugar dips and I’m a grouch to everyone around me, including myself.
It got unbalanced. It’s been unbalanced.
Although my mind has been telling my body over and over again for years, I only now have begun to listen and actually hear what it has to say: my body wants a little bit of many flavors and foods.
A little acid…a little sweet…a little crunch…a little chew…fat PLUS carb for energy. What makes me feel satiated is a mixed bag of tastes without over-eating.
When I think about striking balance in one’s diet, I automatically reference the six tastes explained in Ayurveda, the traditional Hindu system of medicine that is based on the idea of balancing the systems of the body. The six tastes are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. The practice suggests incorporating all of them at every meal in amounts based on one’s body constitution, or dosha (take this quiz to find out your dosha).
Striking balance in life is HARD! But what I had not realized is that balance never needs to be a drastic move in one direction and then a swing in the other (queue the 1,000,001 diet books that flood the market). In fact, quite the opposite. All that you need to find individual balance is a loosening of the reigns a little. Just don’t think so much - don’t worry - don’t plan (okay, maybe plan a little) - but keep it fluid and don’t stress. Give yourself space. Treat yourself with compassion. Tune in to that inner voice. Then, you can really begin to strike a balance that feels right within you.
As my favorite person tells me often, “less is more.”
The Power of Stillness. Practice Mindfulness. Breathe completely. Only then will one feel full.
What do you do to practice balance in and out of the kitchen?
Namaste, Warriors!
My Breakfast Today:
Two Eggs, Fried in Grass-Fed Butter and A Drop of Avocado Oil
Roasted Broccoli and Orange Pepper Drizzled in CaliVirgin Olive Oil and Fresh Cilantro
Small Scoop Sauerkraut
Pour Over Coffee (One Cup)
