I’m still settling into San Antonio (Texas!) and having fun getting involved and engaged in the local holistic and health communities. It’s been fun meeting other people on similar paths — those offering the world healing knowledge in its various incantations: yoga, nutrition, energy work, pure water, and the list goes on. These lovely souls are enriching the world and offering natural solutions to the many things that ail us.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a raw food gathering. I am always looking forward to the creative mixtures of gluten-free and dairy-free fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, oils and spices: both raw and simple, or fancy and dehydrated.  Salads, crackers, breads, pastas, dips, stuffed and encrusted: the food was fresh, delicious, and a perfect compliment to the season (so refreshing on a hot Texas day). Even under the shade of a few umbrellas, the heat reached well into the 90′s, and cold and room temperature food did a great job of cooling us internally.

Although I am not a vegan or raw foodist, I enjoy raw food because I know that, not only is it nutritious, but it is also safely and consistently allergen-free. I also know that the other people who indulge in raw food have a real care and concern for my health and the health of others — using organic ingredients whenever possible, and eschewing chemicals. This is ideal to help me maintain my thyroid and immune health. Raw food is also a great diet for spring and summer months, as temperatures climb, eating cool or uncooked food will naturally bring your body temp down and even out mood and temperament. (Have you ever eaten hot food on a hot day and felt so uncomfortable that you got irritable and lashed out at anything and anyone around you? I know I have.)

As with any dietary dogma, I noticed the fierceness with which everyone protected their cuisine. For this specific group, raw food is the right diet — for them, for me, for you. But, as a Health Counselor, I have to ask the question: when is it okay to be all-or-nothing with our diets? When is it okay to only eat this one certain way, and/or ask others to do the same? Sticking to a certain diet for health reasons can not only be very healthy but also very reasonable. But at what point has a diet gone too far?

A diet has gone too far when, by eating it, your self-esteem is lowered. Making sure we keep our dietary habits in check, rather than allowing them to control us is an important part of healing. We do not have to be all-or-nothing with our eating in order to get healthy or be successful. When we become so strict about our personal dietary choices, we can end up feeling stressed, anxious, and lowering our self-esteem: we feel bad and imperfect, and like nothing we do is ever good enough. These are the days where one “bad” food choice makes us throw in the towel for all other meals. IE: one piece of chocolate for a snack means you might as well have donuts and cupcakes for dinner.

Being healthy does not require being all-or-nothing and only sticking to one diet or one way of eating. We can be healthy and incorporate many dietary dogmas into our healing journey, and not feel forced to just rely on one. In doing so, we can feel less pressure to be 100% loyal 100% of the time. How many times have you been on a diet and ended up feeling imperfect or incompetent when you couldn’t stick with it 100%? Which dietary ideas do you incorporate into your daily eating?