| Seemingly out of the blue, a client asked me if I’d heard of ‘comping’. “It’s when musicians take all the best parts of different types of music and bring them all together”. I didn’t see the relevance. “Well, it got me thinking,” she persisted, “Of how not everyone agrees on the same best parts of music.” “Yeah, sure”. I replied. “So, what makes you like one piece of music, and me like another?” “Uhhhh” I had to think for a moment. “It’s hard to explain…. I either vibe with it, or I don’t….I guess it’s the way it makes me feel.” “Precisely!” she exclaimed. But I still couldn’t see where she was going with it all. “Just like when I listen to my body now. What feels good for my body doesn’t necessarily feel good for someone else’s body. If two people eat the same meal, it’s like the two people listening to the same melody. Same melody, same meal, but two totally different reactions in our bodies.” She paused. And then it hit: “That’s why I need to stop worrying about what my friends are eating, and just listen to what works for my body, right?” Nailed it! But she wasn’t finished yet… “Nowwwwww it makes sense why everyone disagrees with which diet is best, because there’s no one right diet for everyone. Just like we all love totally different bands!” Yessss!!!! Spot on. A piece of music either makes something in us come alive or it doesn’t. Beyond logical explanation, there’s something more full-body going on. We can’t put our finger on it, we just resonate with it or we don’t. Like my failed relationship with wheatgrass…. I tried to love wheatgrass. I really did. But for all the incredible health benefits, I just never vibed with it. My body was screaming, “Oh Hell No!”, but my head had the final say, and down the hatch wheatgrass shots went. Day after day, I kept forcing them down. Until I just couldn’t anymore. Until finally, even the merest whiff of a wheatgrass shot made me want to gag (and still does). Wheatgrass may be the healthiest thing on the planet, but my body lets me know, in no uncertain terms, that it’s not right for me. Same thing for spirulina. But not chlorella! My body vibes with chlorella. Thrives on it in fact. Makes no sense to me. They all seem the same – green, odd smell, packed with goodness. But nope, my body has chosen, and chlorella is the only one for me. Lobster, banana, chia seeds and sauerkraut – you can tell me all the great things about them – but my body simply doesn’t care to agree, and I’m cool with that. Similarly, there are foods that you could talk smack about, like cheese, grains, honey and fruit, and my body thrives on them despite all the bad press! Red meat lands somewhere in the middle. The keto camp will push meat until the cows come home, but my body knows that a little is good, but too much means nightmares and heaviness – as if my muscles are suddenly made of lead. What’s the point? The point is that our bodies all react differently to different foods. When you truly begin to listen to your body, then you can begin ‘comping’. Taking your favourite parts of the dietary spectrum and creating your own unique nutritional music that makes you come alive! It’s time to discover your greatest hits. Listen. Comp. Enjoy. Helen “The Smashing Pumpkins Are The Best Band Eva” Bennett Need Help? Here are some ways that I can help you with listening and trusting your body again: – Join the next Bulimia Freedom Bootcamp – just reply to this email and I’ll send you the details. – If that’s not your thing, then why not jump on a quick call with me and we can chat about how else I can help. |
Helen Bennett 