"Oh wait, I thought you were vegan?! I see cheese on the table! " said someone shockingly as she was looking at one of the pictures I posted on my Instagram stories while I was enjoying brunch with my daughter at Souq waqif in Doha - Qatar.
Yes there was cheese on the table, and other "vegetarian" foods, and even though i don't necessarily eat dairy, I can still eat it and enjoy it if I want to, if I feel like it.
What I didn't really appreciate was the label.
Well at some time in my life, not long ago, I was 100% "vegan" which means I didn’t eat any animal product at all.
Later on I started adding fish to my menu, so people would call me "pescatarian". And you know what, our food preferences and body needs may keep changing, do we need to keep replacing labels to define who we are?
Well if I had to have a label, I would choose one that never changes, one that doesn't limit me or put me in a box, one that I am making up: l would be FREETARIAN.
While I still eat 90% plant based because that's what my body loves to eat, and because plant-based food raises my vibration/energy, I value my freedom and free will to eat whatever I want if I feel like it on any given day!
Why do we need to add LABELS to define who we are when should be free to explore, grow and always transform?! I am not vegan but I eat more plants than a lot of vegan who eat Oreos and chips (and that's okay too if that s what works for them, not judging anybody here).
I am not Christian but I love Jesus and talk to Mary as I talk to my mom,
I m not Muslim but I am inspired by Ali Bin Abi Taleb,
I am not Buddhist but I believe in rebirth...
Why do we need to glorify one way of eating or thinking or believing and damn all others?
I believe that labels and categorizations do more harm than good in separating us into opposing parties and making us think that we need to fight to protect ourselves. NOT TRUE. Just another illusion.
How about we just take the best of everything, honor diversity and appreciate the choices we have? And yes, judge less.
The human body is so complex and so unique. I am sure you have seen many people thriving eating only plants while others live healthily and happily eating a wide variety of foods. And the opposite is also true.
I have been there, I used to hold on to my label and use it as a shield to fight and protect an ideology/dogma that wasn't really serving me, especially on an emotional and psychological level. If you feel that you are trapped in a food category, have made of food your enemy, and would like to explore in details how to make peace with your food and body, check my Book : The awakened goddess detox.
While my food detox is 100% plant-based, I discuss in details that while food matters, it is only a small part of the equation.
This book, like no other, is both a self-help book and a cookbook (detox recipes). You will find 3 big parts:
Part 1: I share my personal story with body image, diets, relationship with food and what lies beneath our distorted relationship with food: a distorted relationship with the Self. I also share my philosophy of the detox concept and what it really means. The awakened goddess detox is not only a food detox but also a detox of old beliefs, negative thoughts and habits through self-acceptance and self-love practices.
Part 2: I share 8 practices to master self-love and awaken the goddess within. These are practical tools and exercises that you can keep coming back to every time you need a dose of inspiration.
Part 3: we go on a 7 day detox adventure with recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between/ Q&A / ingredients list / shopping list.
Grab your copy now, it is available to order worldwide on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all book depositories. I am sure this book will become your best friend offering self-love and inspiration whenever you need it, without judgment or pressure.
I am so grateful for all the orders coming through since I published the hardcover on June 21, 2020 (I haven't sent a newsletter sharing the great news, I know, that is another blog post that I will share soon about impostor syndrome) and all the great feedback and reviews that you guys are sharing, so so grateful for all of you.
I would love to know what do you guys think about food freedom and if you have a personal experience that you can share with us, you never know who you can inspire.