I was sitting in class yesterday and a topic came up which I feel is very important. We were talking about “taking away” components of patients’ diets. This is often extremely difficult, and as natural health practitioners, sometimes it seems like we do this a lot – that we’re the person in people’s lives that take away all the “good things,” which they enjoy. So, we were talking about the idea of NOT taking away things which are seemingly important to them, that are seemingly giving them some sort of comfort or happiness. I use seemingly here very intentionally.
Being Honest With Ourselves
We all have things that give us comfort; foods which make us feel cozy, tv shows that relax us. Many of us drink alcohol at night to relax, or socialize, and desserts are often a way to “reward” ourselves for a day completed. These things serve a VERY REAL and important purpose in our lives. The fact of the matter is that we don’t need external stimuli to induce a feeling of relaxation, comfort, or sense of calm, and enable us to socialize. Often, the external means we look to for relief are detrimental to our health. These things are inborn expressions of the self, and fully within our control. Sometimes, our body tries to tell us that we need to remember this, that we need to get rid of the things that we’re using as crutches to find comfort and peace in our lives.
Whenever we find ourselves unwilling to give something up, or we utter phrases like, “I need my wine at night to relax,” “sugar makes me feel good,” or “I could never try that,” it’s probably something that we’d gain a TON from exploring – and taking reprieve.
The question of why were are holding on to something so tightly is extremely important here. It serves a major purpose in our lives and exploring what that purpose is, and why we need that specific thing, could be a gateway to incredible self-discovery and healing.
Three Considerations
- Build an Awareness of what Resistances Mean
The next time you find yourself resistant to the idea of taking a break from something, or giving something up, ask yourself “why?” Try to build an awareness of what it is about the food, action, or situation, that is so hard to live without. - Create a Support System for your Change
Talk to someone you trust regarding what you’re going through and the idea of your proposed change. Let them help you stay on track, and also give you insight on how your behavior, language, or other areas of your life may be changing over time. Having someone hold you accountable, and also help you flush out some of the more subtle things you may be going through, may prove very valuable. - Set a Realistic Timeline
If you aren’t sure, or don’t want to be sure that you need to give something up, it’s important to set a timeline for giving it up. If you decide that you will give something up for 2 weeks, or a month, it feels a lot differently than the idea that you are giving it up forever. Give it a duration that will give you a solid enough time to assess possible changes. 4 weeks is often a long enough time, but not too long.
Node Smith, associate editor for NDNR, is a fifth year naturopathic medical student at NUNM, where he has been instrumental in maintaining a firm connection to the philosophy and heritage of naturopathic medicine amongst the next generation of docs. He helped found the first multi-generational experiential retreat, which brings elders, alumni, and students together for a weekend campout where naturopathic medicine and medical philosophy are experienced in nature. Three years ago he helped found the non-profit, Association for Naturopathic ReVitalization (ANR), for which he serves as the board chairman. ANR has a mission to inspire health practitioners to embody the naturopathic principles through experiential education. Node also has a firm belief that the next era of naturopathic medicine will see a resurgence of in-patient facilities which use fasting, earthing, hydrotherapy and homeopathy to bring people back from chronic diseases of modern living; he is involved in numerous conversations and projects to bring about this vision.