A few years back I studied with Marc David at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. I can remember in one particular lecture, he said something that blew my mind: “The disease is the cure.”
Say what? That makes no sense.
How is diabetes the cure for diabetes? How is cancer the cure for cancer? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
He went deeper.
What is the disease asking of you? Rest? A change in lifestyle, perhaps dramatic? To step back and regroup? Realign priorities? He explained:
“I have never seen a situation in which what the disease is asking of you – at core – is not exactly what you need.”
That’s something to think about.
This week the Novo virus made its way through our house. First the baby (who recovered the fastest and easiest of all of us), then me, and then even the indomitable Chef James was out for a day or two.
No matter how much I counsel others to put self-care first, to fill that cup so they can be of better service to others, I am often loathe to take my own advice. It’s no wonder I’m in this field… we teach what we most need to learn.
So this week, the Norovirus was my cure. It was the rest, the retreat, the permission I needed to put myself first and start filling my cup again.
In this vein I am going to let others do the work for me this week. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve done three interviews, which I think you’ll find interesting and fun:
1) Chef James and I appeared on LA Live’s Here’s to your health! radio with Joshua Lane. Chef James interviewed me about one of our favorite topics – sugar – and we demonstrate some fun techniques for substituting veggies for pasta. This show is a 3-hr show and we start one hour in. (Unfortunately this show is no longer available in their archives)
2) I was interviewed by the wonderful Michelle Skeen of Relationships 2.0 for a full hour. We talked about everything from raw milk to the politics of eating animal foods. You can find the link to the podcast on her site, here.
3) Jill Howerton has started a wonderful new blog called The Daily Tonic. It’s a daily dose of healthy living and inspiration. She recently interviewed me on my journey to nutrition, what’s missing from the American diet, and my thoughts on food and babies. Check it out here.
If you’re like me and need support when it comes to prioritizing self care, we’ve got your back.
Contact us to learn more about how we can support you to achieve total, thriving health.
Be well, eat naked, and thrive!
~Margaret
photo credit: Bala Sivakumar
Very interesting, I heard Tony Robbins say this and was looking for clarification, thank you!