Fight Back . . .

As I was looking through my recipes this morning, I came upon a a book that my mom gave me years ago, "Fight Back With Food", a great resource about foods, their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and qualities that can assist in healing certain diseases. It struck me odd that "Fight" was the word being used. A few hours later, I was at the cancer clinic to have my check up with my oncologist whom I adore. While sitting in the waiting room, I became aware once again of the idea of chemotherapy "fighting" cancer. I left to come back to see patients and was so aware of the theme that prevails in our society. We are seduced into believing that life is war, that we are separate from other beings, whether animal, plant or people. I further thought about how I approach my clients' issues. It is not usually using food to fight conditions, but rather to understand how food can heal and how certain behaviors have been present to support one's well-being, even if they have overstayed their welcome. Case in point, as I spoke with one of my clients, I gently reminded her that anorexia and being overly focused on calories was a coping mechanism that allowed her to deal with tremendous stress as a child, stress that she had no other way to manage. Counting calories is often less scary than dealing with abusive parents, peer relationships, choosing whether or not to attend college. I suggested that she can thank her eating disorder for being there, but that now she is learning and using other nurturing techniques to support her physical and emotional growth. Pay attention to concepts of "fighting", "beating", "overcoming", and consider softening the tone, recognizing that all that is in the universe is complementary. Healing on all levels begins with acceptance and self-love. Namaste Julie