For most of my life, my relationship with food was maniacally unhealthy. The scale teetered between 105 and 135 as I juggled patterns of binging, starving, over-exercising, and generalized shame. Every bite triggered a behavioral response—at my lightest, a dizzy 10-mile run to burn off whatever I put in my mouth; at my heaviest, a pile of wings and beer, because when you’re already down, the most convenient comfort is the thing that got you there in the first place.
Two years ago, I attacked disordered eating head on. I fell in love with using real food as fuel and adopted a nutrient-rich lifestyle as the sincerest form of self-care. I learned the power of plants and how to cultivate an inner glow. Throughout this process, I noticed myself stressing less and less any time I “slipped up.” I could eat a slice of pizza at an office party without spiraling into an anorexic frenzy. Once something is fully ingrained in your life, it’s not easily threatened. That notion works its way into your subconscious and makes consistency second nature and no blip a cause for concern.
Today I stand fully liberated from food. I eat 100% witchcraft-level intuitively. I don’t engage in fad diets or restrictive trends. I simply load up on greens & fats & sweet potatoes. If I want a milkshake every now and then, I have one, and it doesn’t affect my weight or mentality. Periodic luxuries do not overturn a lifestyle. You dig?
That being said, I’m not naïve. I know that a reckless streak of eating is not without consequence. This past weekend, I escaped the hustle and bustle of the city for some fresh, country air back in my home area. My Saturday was as follows: massive diner breakfast with endless coffee, donuts, pizza, poutine, beer, and for the grand finale: LUCKY CHARMS ICE CREAM IN A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CONE WITH WHIPPED CREAM. *heavy breathing* I went IN…and I paid for it the next day. Waves of nausea and lethargy are enough for me to snap back into wellness with animalistic ferocity. So, I wanted to share some insight on how I bounce back from a treat yoself weekend:
- Hydration – It’s especially important to be mindful of your water intake after a junk food marathon. You likely didn’t get enough fiber or water, so you need a digestive makeover to flush yourself out. Don’t listen to baseless claims for drinking a full gallon. Aim for ½ your body weight in ounces plus an additional 20 if you exercise.
- Intermittent Fasting – Sometimes I’ll space my last meal on Sunday and my first meal on Monday apart by ~16-18 hours. The science behind intermittent fasting is super interesting to me. In simple terms, though, I like to let my body run on the excess calories it’s taken in from the weekend before I replenish it.
- Probiotics – If the body is your mode of transportation through the cosmic meaninglessness of the universe, your gut is the driver. Drink kombucha and let it work its bacterial magic.
- Vegetables. Like, a lot of them. – This really speaks for itself. I already try to have vegetables in every meal, but I make an especially concerted effort after running on cheesy carbs for a couple days. Plant-based health offers you the freedom of abundance, so take advantage of the low-calorie, high-nutrient properties and load up.
- Make meals you ENJOY! – I personally love everything I eat, so this is more for readers, especially those of you not quite hip to holistic wellness yet. Food should never feel punitive. You can’t go from triple chocolate cake to depressing, basic salads with dry chicken and balsamic vinaigrette. Roast some turmeric salmon and garlicky brussels sprouts! Spiralize some zucchini noodles and make your own pesto! Snag a jar of thai red curry paste, some coconut milk, tofu, and vegetables and enjoy the comfort and aromatic trance of thai red coconut curry. Get creative in the kitchen so everything you eat, you love wholeheartedly.