By We all want variety but overwhelm results when there is far too much choice
It’s human nature to love the comfort of familiarity. I, for one, love having a routine when it comes to my nutrition and training goals. Getting up to workout by 4 am, training particular muscles on certain days, going for long walks and having the same old food choices for breakfast, lunch and snacks. It can sound as boring as batshit to some people, but it’s very much predictably comforting for me. The thought of going to a restaurant sends currents of panic — and my stomach begins to ache before I even eat anything. When you’ve suffered from food intolerance’s and allergies since eight years old, you wouldn’t think I was outrageously mad. For someone like me, pre-made food, elimination of cross-contamination and eating a predominantly plant-based diet is the key to living a pain & symptom-free life. One ounce of food that doesn’t agree with me sets off weeks with a migraine, hectic bowel & stomach reactions — with the possibility of becoming confined to bed. There go all my training goals out the window. Now I have to wait it out with litres of water, antihistamines and perhaps some steroid cream. It’s the sad reality of allergies. So, is variety the spice of life for me? No, but I add my herbs in the plain old veggies that I eat. That’s enough for me! How do you add variety to your meals when you’re on a diet or can’t eat a wide range of foods? Here’s my list of boredom survival food tactics. Tactic 1: Adding spices from all around the world (ensuring they don’t contain allergens) Tactic 2: Seasonal consumption of fruit and veggies Tactic 3: Exotic smoothies (AKA berries and banana) filled with pinches of superfood powders Tactic 4: Seed spreads and bread-making skills — no gluten needed. Add eggs if you can tolerate them Tactic 5: Adding cinnamon, nutmeg and some cayenne pepper to your hot “vegan” chocolate Tactic 6: Using a spiraliser to make zucchini and cucumber noodles. Tactic 7: Lemon, lime and orange wedge water — add in some fresh herbs like mint or rosemary Tactic 8: Keeping it low key with Japanese food and fresh salads when eating out. So it’s not all that bad. I quite enjoy the simplicity and niceties of the seemingly dull food consumption. It doesn’t bother me anymore, and it has taught me to cook a lot of my food, which my family and friends seem to enjoy. I guess you could say I became a bit of a master chef in the process: no complicated ingredients, foreign stuff or anything that I can’t buy locally. Lot’s of people tend to appreciate that. I urge you to try out the lack of variety and increase your consistency with food. It pays to know what is actually in the food you do eat. Your body is pretty important, and what you eat is a form of self-love. It’s the key to nourishing your body through the various transitions of ageing. If you too love the simple food life, let me know below what’s brought you to this place and the difference it’s made in your life. If you would like to read more articles like this or start writing your own, please sign up via my link. I’d love to see you on the other side. Sign up here for your medium subscription