“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.”
Song of Songs 4:7
It is not a flaw in our design. It is by design that we’re able to adapt. For survival. We were never intended to have to bear the burden of the toxic load our bodies face today. The age of convenience and profit driven products have heavily contributed to the challenges our minds and bodies face currently. Some are able to bear more or for longer. Others are not able to process or eliminate offenders as well.
Being so adaptable is excellent for survival. It also means that often times what the body views as an offender might not set off a detectable alarm via signs or symptoms immediately, if ever. Many times we are able to eat, drink, or do things that the body has to work hard to process or compensate for without an immediate response indicating harm. And so, we continue with the offense, unaware, or feeling confident it’s not harmful. This is where the adaptability becomes an enemy instead of friend. Reactions may not occur at all or may occur much later than the offense and so it becomes challenging, if not impossible, to connect the symptoms to the trigger or triggers. This many times leads us to believe that we’re just fine with x, y, or z.
✨ Able doesn’t equal ought. ✨ Being able to survive on 4 hours of sleep does not mean I ought to. Same is true for any other thing I can allow. Over time, the effects add up. Whispers of symptoms can become louder. Damage can become further spread and harder to reverse before we begin to notice or listen.
This isn’t about perfection. Or fear. It never will be. It’s about making informed choices and doing the best we can with what we have. Being kind to our bodies. They deserve it.
The quote here is inspired by the brilliant @derekjohnsonnutrition who said something to this effect at a seminar I was able to attend years ago and it has lived with me since.