Both Stephanie and I agree that the old saying, “everything in moderation,” is overrated.
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The idea, “everything in moderation” has its place, but there are also parts of our lives where it can hold us back… Sometimes we need to be “all in!”
In episode 37 of The Vegan Life Coach Podcast we explore the intricacies of the idea that moderation is the ideal we should strive for. So many of our clients describe themselves as “all or nothing” type people, usually with a negative connotation. We discuss the ways in which you can harness such a quality to work to your benefit as well.
When it comes to aligning our actions with our values, for example, I have some “hard no’s” in my life. Consuming animal products and biproducts… A hard no! Why? Because I care deeply about the wellbeing of animals and do everything in my power to avoid contributing to their suffering and death.
In addition to eating exclusively plants, Stephanie mentions that she doesn’t let anything get in the way of spending quality time with her children, and getting in her “alone time” to recharge (we’re both introverts).
We also discussed trigger foods. Before healing my relationship with food, there were many foods that I was unable to eat in moderation. I couldn’t eat 1/4 cup (1 serving) of granola for example. One serving would turn into five (if you’ve ready my story, you know all about my granola addiction)!
For Stephanie, soda is a trigger food and she therefore chooses to avoid having so much as a sip.
The alternative to striving for moderation, is to live in the moment, be present, stay in our conscious mind, and make mindful choices, instead of allowing programming (aka habits and patterns) to dictate your actions.
The number one tool you can use to help you make a conscious choice, is the Power Pause. We’re talking about taking a step back to observe your thoughts… To approach yourself with curiosity and compassion, and ask yourself, “Why am I about to take this action?”
Let’s say you’re at a birthday party for example, and the cake has just been cut, and someone hands you a piece. Maybe, you would normally automatically accept the piece of cake and eat it without much thought.
The Power Pause strategy involves asking yourself, “Why am I choosing to eat this cake?” Maybe your answer is that you don’t want to be rude (aka succumbing to your people-pleasing programming). Well maybe now you realize that wanting to make everyone else comfortable at the expense of compromising your values of not eating animal products (cake is typically made with eggs and milk), is not a good reason to eat the cake, and so you make a different choice this time, and politely decline.
The power is in the conscious CHOICE. This is a strategy that will help you wrap up 2020 feeling in charge of your health and happiness, and better equipped to make a positive impact on other people, animals and the Planet in 2021 and beyond!
– Ella
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Ella Magers, MSW
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