are you still here? I have been following two accounts on Instagram that I really love. And both of these people are licensed registered dieticians doing their damnedest to interrupt all the bullshit that is out there in the nutrition world and the first is at nutrition tea. Shawna Spence and at your dot Latina dot, nutritionist de Lena Soto, both who are anti diet, weight inclusive and supporters of eating food as an all food period. So if you've got a complicated relationship with food I encourage you to just to check them out. Right? See what their vibe is see what their messages and maybe, maybe what they have to say might be of support to you. I know for me, it's helped me kind of let go of so much of the bullshit. And so maybe I thought I'd offer it. And if you seek the help of a health professional, I encourage you to work with someone like them. Who comes from a place of eating without guilt, I encourage you to work with someone, maybe who has a degree in this field who has gotten to be in the here's the thing, I don't always put a degree on it. Right? Because I know like here in America, education is just placed at such high of a standard and it's not I don't think is always necessary. But here's the thing, when it comes to people who are registered dieticians, the the education, the classes that they take, and the understanding that they have of the way the food is processed in the body. It is necessary information like they only they have that understanding. And so I'm uh, I venture to say that I would put my trust in a registered dietitian who comes from a place of, you know, anti capitalist, anti white supremacy. You know, as I said, anti diet weight inclusive supporters of eating food without guilt or shame. That's who I would look for. In the realm of iron betta food is looked at as nourishment. And the act of eating is one of self love, ritual and connection with community. And as I said before, like this is one of the greatest gifts I or betta has given to me because since I was 22 years old, nearly for 20 years, I've been obsessed with, you know, what I was or wasn't eating and worried over food, it was constantly on my mind. And it was a constant internal struggle, it was torture. And here's my thing. Right, since I've been working with iron betta studying it in the last four years or so, what I've come to the understanding of is and what I really believe is, we should be emotional eaters. Now, I don't mean, as in like what we say in America as like an emotional eater. So like when I'm feeling sad, I reach for this when I'm feeling angry, or reach for that, or when I need to be soothed, right? Because a lot of people say, Oh, well, I only eat sweets, when I'm sad. I only write like, I only eat chips and stuff when I'm sad. And I'm not shaming any of that. Right? But that's what we've labeled, labeled as an emotional eater, as in the other times of my life, I'm not emotional. And therefore eat healthy. Like, I don't understand that anyway. But I what I'm saying is we shouldn't be emotional eaters as in like, checking in with ourselves, checking in with our emotions, and what energy is present. Not high or low energy, but like, are we feeling even keeled? Or is the anxious is the energy more of like an anxious or unsettled nature? Is that angry? Or or, or feeling fiery? Or is the energy kind of lethargic, slow moving, right? Why are we feeling the way we are and choosing what to eat based on how we are experiencing life, because the reality is food and drinks have the ability to keep us in harmony, or put us out of harmony, or if we are already not in balance, exacerbating that, because remember, food is energy that we eat it. So we have energy. And when we ingest food, there's an energetic exchange, as it's metabolized and digested, digested. So if you think about it, it's actually not weird at all to consider that energy, that the energy that is created by the process of eating and metabolizing and digestion, that that energy that we're left with, has qualities that can either leave us feeling unsettled, heated or lethargic. I have so much more to say on this but I want to leave this just leave this put a period on it for a moment and come back to it in another episode. Because that often if when it's somebody's first time hearing that often just as like whoa, wait what and this is something I talk about in every single Ayurvedic workshop I offer. Now, in Ayurveda, the act of eating is comprised of more than just the moment of consuming the food the process of eating is multi step like it is like a ritual, it is an activity it is just a part of life. It is not how American culture like is just like something fast. You know, not thinking about it, just like what is there, what is available, and here's the thing, right? Sometimes we do need that sometimes we're busy sometimes like we just didn't plan. Sometimes life is fucking happening and the reality because we just need to eat whatever is there that is true, right? But also, can we agree that the way that we're living life in America is obviously not helping us? Right? The gogogo the disconnected from ourselves all the shit, right? And so what I avetta is calling us to do is to have more of a presence with eating. And so, considering what season are we in what foods are? Is nature offering us? How am I feeling? What is my emotional and, and mental status? What do I need? What would be supportive? What time of day? Is it right? Because I read a also offers us to have the bigger meal at lunch than dinner, American culture typically eats the bigger meal at at dinner, and sometimes even skip lunch, right? How often do you see people or maybe you do do that? Right? That's kind of normal here. Right. And so I avetta also encourages us to plan meals in advance or have some provisions available in the pantry for easy grabbing on busy days. Also, there's nothing wrong with takeout. There's nothing wrong with canned food. Right? It doesn't always have to be fresh, like from the fucking ground, it can be frozen, like I read a does have some stipulations on that. But let's also remember that this is a science that is, you know, 1000s of years old shits changed. And so and when we talk about American culture, you can't get further away on the spectrum than what I read it is. And so I always say these things like take that part with a grain of salt, because we have to consider where we are what our life is like. Right? And I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that you need to buy organic or that you have to shop at former farmers markets, because the reality is food insecurity is real. Access is real, like the inability to access is real, whether it's from a monetary aspect or food deserts like I mean, it is not it's not easy out there. Right. And sometimes we just got to eat whatever is available. It's true. Again, I Aveda is calling us to try to have a relationship with us try to have a presence with this. And it's so much more than just simply eating grilled chicken and broccoli every day or salad every day in the name of being healthy like we do in America. Right? Rather than like, what would be supportive for me, what do I feel like eating? Right, I also need to make sure to say that I or Veta doesn't have a diet plan or promote severe restriction, or strict elimination of foods in terms of a self care aspect. Now there are some there are Ira medic doctors that practice and they may, but it may be based on what you've got going on, and how to restore balance a little while, right, but it's not forever. And it's on an individual basis. It's not like this is the way and the way is restrictive. Not at all. I are Veta supports an intuitive approach to food choices that balances the qualities of the season that align with your nature and your energy and are also guided by your needs, whether that is your energetic needs, or the needs of your day, and how busy you are or whatever health concern you might have. I mean, everything is considered. So when it comes to general guidelines for Ayurveda, I'm going to offer them here, you're welcome to take what you want from the conversation and leave the rest. And I also want to reiterate that these are general guidelines, is not meant to be a be all or end all. It obviously cannot consider any health things you've got going on, right. And it's not meant for you to just throw out whatever recommendations your health team has given you. Also, remember that the goal of Iveta is to decrease inflammation within your body improve digestion of all things and balance your energy so you are more at ease. And I'll be honest with you, when it comes to the eating. This is just a piece of the puzzle. This the goal of decreasing inflammation, improving digestion, and balancing your energy so that you're more at ease does not lie solely or even in the majority of what we eat. Remembering that the daily rhythm, the way the pace of our day, the things we choose to do with ourselves. I mean, all of those things matter. And so there are so many other factors