Win the Hunger Games

We are what we eat — literally. Seeing that food is broken down and converted into energy and building blocks to repair the body, it’s safe to say that if you rebuild yourself out of Coca Cola and fries, you’re in trouble.

As weight loss is a perpetual struggle for so many, I want to invite you to shift the goal away from a specific dress size. Trust your oils to help you. Health and a strong immune system come in many forms, and skinny is not the main ingredient.
Take a moment to meet yourself. You are up against the big guns here.

Did you know that almost all research into the exercise and weight-loss connection was funded by the soda industry? Afterwards, it was agreed with the government that fat should be labelled by a percentage on all food packaging. The true culprit, of course, was sugar, but as the industry had just majorly invested into new farming methods, it was decided to sweep the findings under the table. As a result, we effectively push malnourished people into exercising to target the wrong type of fat.

And fat-free is definitely a bad thing: You need good fats to create energy, support cell growth, keep you warm, produce hormones and help you absorb nutrients. By taking the time and getting to know your eating patterns, strengths and weaknesses, and understanding that you fight against powerful myths and marketing strategies, you will be much more able to transform your food psychology.

Marketing is focused on profit, and not nutritional need. Let me write that again: Marketing is focused on profit. Don’t believe a thing you read in advertisements. Through marketing, we also have learned to associate our food intake with events (think birthday parties or holidays) that take the inner debate away.

Begin the change by identifying which one of the 6 forms of hunger strikes most often, and use a journal for support.

1) Hunger from Thirst
This is ancestral because clean water was not easy to come by, so we took a large amount of our fluid intake through our meals. So here is your radical diet thought: stay hydrated!

2) Empty Stomach Hunger
Empty stomach hunger is simply a physical sensation and not real hunger at all: food has left the stomach towards the next stage of digestion. I am a big believer in intermittent fasting. You just need to find which one works for you. Examen your feelings — you may just not be used to not eating.

3) Variety Hunger
We need variety in our food to get everything we need nutritionally. Often we don’t get variety because addiction to salty and high carb or MSG-laden food over-rides our innate ability to know what’s needed.

4) Low Blood Sugar
This is your number one enemy: we crash when the blood sugar gets low, and try to fix it with high glycemic index food. It is a devils circle that can be broken with a few days of guided juicing and then moving on to better quality carbs.
Sugar is the second highest ingredient in most processed food, and highly addictive. Know that crackers and bread are also broken down into a simple form of sugar with the same effect

5) Emotional Hunger
Boredom, frustration, loneliness — how often have you poured yourself a glass of wine or had a piece of chocolate because you really had nothing better to do? The truth is, we never eat high functional food to feel better — it is always something addictive. If you are serious about change, then try writing down your emotions when you snack to see if a pattern emerges. Try calling a friend for a chat instead of eating.

6) Nutritional Hunger
The one and only true hunger. You’re running on empty, and need to replenish with high functioning food.

Now that you know how to differentiate your hunger, you should be aware that almost all of our food decisions are based on temptation.

Identify your emotional state, be aware of your inner debate, and imagine this: you’ve decided to go with the easy option - all your serotonin and dopamine levels will already have risen. Yay, chocolate is coming! Because it’s not the food, it’s the decision that makes you happy!

It has become very difficult to identify the right food for us, because of farming methods, the sheer volume of processed foods that override our intuition, and noise in the diet market, where each one has a surefire way to help you live happily ever after.

So what is the solution? My intention is not to lead you to a diet, but to a journey of self-discovery.

To initiate change, answer the following questions and then write them into the journal to embed them deeply:

• What does health really mean to me?
• What is my ideal vision of myself?
• How do I show up, operate and organise my life right now?
• How does this differ from the person in my vision?
• Do I simply want this for my wellbeing, or am I ready to take my life to the next level?

What jumps out of the pen can be oh so revealing; you may find that you are tired of being tired, that you really would love to regain youthfulness (even, or especially when, you are young). You may want to recover from or manage a chronic illness. You may be stuck in a life that you don’t like, and so you numb yourself when really all you wish to achieve is to enjoy yourself once more.

Once you have figured out your true goals, get help. A small accountability group with 2 good friends is a great start. I would always recommend working with a nutritionist if you are serious about weight loss— you’ll get a bespoke meal plan that increases your success and saves you money in the long run.

I love setting aromatic anchors. Choose an essential oil that speaks to you. It can be anything, and I deliberately don’t give you directions, because when you read up what that oil stands for, you’ll find that you already picked the one that you need the most. Diffuse or inhale directly from the bottle. “I can, I will, I am!” Is a great mantra to repeat when temptation is high.

My personal journey into health started with dōTERRA. Pure essential oils are the essence of plant medicine and support your health on every level. dōTERRAs supplements are second to none, and the community of a like-minded, high-vibe-tribe has kickstarted me into a healthy lifestyle that I could barely have imagined for myself in my wildest dreams. Get a starter kit and my mentorship here if you are ready to change your life.

Your health journey will result in an increased sense of wellbeing, almost without you noticing. The absence of pain is remarkably subtle. But one day you will realise that you feel good in the morning, sleep better, digest easily, cravings have disappeared, your energy levels have risen and your joy of life has increased.

Every journey is different, and beating the dieting game is highly enjoyable. The results will be surprising, and much more exciting than just a dress. I lost 11 kg without even trying, and took up water-skiing at the age of 53 — what will your surprise be?