Gluten, Dairy and Sugar Blessings

Shifting Food Fears Into Holiday (and everyday) Healing

When it comes to exploring food in the alternative wellness scene, there's always something to be cautious about – whether it's seed oils, gluten, dairy, or sugar. (I write this as I happily eat a slice of buttered sourdough bread with jam, crispy bacon, and a big mug of raw dairy milk.)

We live in a world with an abundance of "information," much of it misleading, distorted or false. This chaos can turn us into anxious little food detectives, creating internal conflicts and sometimes even bodily responses to what we eat.

It's beautiful how our belief system and German New Medicine are intertwined.

For example, my acne used to resurface when I visited home during the holidays – especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, where an abundance of familiar dishes awaited. Most of them were my childhood favorites: mashed potatoes, creamed corn, dressing, banana pudding... When I was deep into my mission to understand the ‘root cause’ of acne, I completely cut out gluten, dairy, and sugar except for a sneaky bite or two when I was home. It was the holidays, after all, and I wasn't going to deprive myself.

But eating these restricted foods was conflicting. Part of me believed it was perfectly fine, my body was completely capable of navigating them and the small amount wouldn’t cause me to break out. But another part of me still clung to the notion that these foods were a cause of acne in some roundabout way. 

What I was unaware of, until I discovered German New Medicine, was how my perception of my surroundings played a pivotal role in my experience of being home. Every time I came home from New York, I was deep into my "holistic health journey." I didn't hold back; I'd cook meals for myself and my family, often recruiting them into my health cult. However, they were content with their traditional ways and thought I was the oddball – sipping matcha with MCT oil, downing supplements and dodging seed oils.

Here’s where things click and the magic is revealed.

I perceived my family's comments as attacks, and I always felt I had to be ready to defend myself and my choices.

According to German New Medicine, acne is the symptom of an attack-conflict or “feeling soiled”.

Voilà! It was never the food as the ‘root’. It was always my perception and experience of feeling attacked. Over time, my family grew more accepting of my choices, and I became a little less bothered, resulting in fewer perceived attacks and therefore, less acne. Because of the knowledge I have of GNM now, I'm better equipped to navigate potential conflicts and have cultivated a deeper awareness.

We all know people who seem to defy the usual ‘rules’ of health. Some live on fast food, candy, and soda and reach their 90s, while others who follow a clean and healthy lifestyle face unexpected health issues. Blaming food, or anything else for that matter, is out of style. It's time to own our choices and step off the hamster wheel. There’s too much inconsistency and inconclusiveness in attributing particular symptoms to certain foods, given that not everyone experiences the same challenges. So we’ve got to ask ourselves, “Can those foods really be the root?” 

Our beliefs and perceptions of food outweigh the food itself. How, where, and with whom we eat is just as important. Nowadays, people eat at their desks, on their computers, scrolling through Instagram or in public. This isn't biologically sacred. No wonder we're seeing more so-called "food allergies" – we're more susceptible to experiencing conflict shocks when we don't eat in a nurturing and sacred space. Creating rituals and practices like praying or sharing gratitude for food provides biological support and protection. Amen.

Belief work and GNM are inseparable. Take a food item and ask yourself, "What do I believe about this food? Is it healthy, toxic, or something in between?" If you eat a food you believe is toxic, you'll likely perceive it negatively, potentially allowing for a higher chance of various conflicts. Avoiding the food altogether can be a practical solution but can also be detrimental when this begins to affect our day-to-day lives. This is where perception-based changes and working with our psyche are not only important but necessary.

I encourage you to challenge your beliefs. Why do you think a particular food is toxic? Is it because you heard it from three different "wellness influencers" on Instagram who shared a "published" article? Our beliefs shape our reality, not the other way around. Read that again. If you're letting your reality dictate your beliefs, you're disempowered. If your symptoms are shaping your food beliefs, you've got it backward.

GNM offers us freedom and demands full responsibility. It leaves no room for victimhood, as foods themselves aren't causing harm – it's our perceptions and beliefs that hold the power and our awareness of our experiences that grants us the ability to live harmoniously without fear and with joy. 

This doesn’t mean we should endorse the production of factory farming, for example, added hormones, or the use of glyphosate. It means we have a choice in how much we allow these things to threaten our psyche. The calmer, more centered, and trusting we are, the less fear we project, the healthier we will be and more efficient our bodies can go through their natural healing process.

What foods have you had on your naughty list? Have you healed any fear of foods?

I hope you can savor all the holiday season has to offer, including gluten, dairy, and sugar.

xx,

Abigail