Our “Diets” Are More Than Food

The other day, I heard a wise person say that our diet is more than what we eat. In fact, it’s everything we ingest—every day. With that in mind, what if we made sure we got enough of these five daily “essentials” …

Calm – For sensitive people, the news gets overwhelming. I don’t think our brains were meant to absorb the constant stress and chaos.

We need a steady serving of peace in our lives, which means different things to different people. For me, it means no news in the mornings. Instead, I’ll scroll down beautiful early-day scenes on social media—a sunlit farm in Argentina, a charming coffeeshop in Brooklyn, an older woman having her cup of tea on a flower-filled porch. Sometimes I’ll catch one of my favorite “gurus” giving words of enlightenment. These help me start my day in peace. By afternoon, I can handle the New York Times or The Guardian. But until then, no thank you.

Love – We see lots of hate in the media, whether major war zones or even between neighbors.

So, I feast on stories of love, wherever I find them. The other day I saw a video of the affection between an injured duck and a chicken living together on a farm. Their growing bond for each other was sweet, and when the healed duck finally was able to fly away, leaving the chicken sadly behind, I found myself verklempt. That’s why stories of animals—whether an adorable baby elephant with its mom or a donkey braying a morning greeting to its mistress—are so popular. They have a pure love that can’t help but touch our souls.

Nature – So much of our planet lies in rubble these days, either from war, stripping our natural resources, or Mother Nature. I think of all the destruction, not only of people, but flowers and grass and trees.

What a gift to go outside each day with my dog Libby and imbibe in our rural Connecticut neighborhood. Even though we do the same route each day (Libby can’t be driven to new places because she becomes a loud, panicky mess), that’s okay. The light and seasons change all the time. Right now, the forsythias and daffodils are blooming bright yellow. The light is stronger, and the trees have those little red “fuzzies” up top, the start of new leaves. How lovely to have this serving of natural beauty each day.

Laughs – Thank God for the funny people since there’s no shortage of sadness.

We all need a minimum daily requirement of humor. Recently I began watching reruns of “I Love Lucy,” the 1950s sitcom. Although dated in many ways, the sharp writing and Lucille Ball’s comic wit still crack me up sixty years later. How can anyone watch without laughing the episode where Lucy tries to light a cigarette and sets her fake nose on fire in front of stunned actor William Holden? She then dips it in her coffee to put it out, all of course, with a completely straight face. It’s these silly moments that help lighten life. Lately I seem to need lots of them.

Hope – The media gives us lots of reasons to despair and few reasons to hope. Maybe that’s their job.

So where do we get this one essential nutrient? Strangely, once again, I turn to my Yorkie, Libby. There’s something comforting about having a creature who has no idea what’s going on in the world. Even better, she doesn’t care—as long as food, treats, walks, and playtimes are still on the menu. I’m not sure why this little Yorkie gives me hope. Maybe she’s a reminder that pureness, joy, and innocence still exist in this world. And if we have those qualities, even in small doses, there’s the dream that goodness will prevail.

So that’s the “diet” I try and feed myself each day. Thank God for these life-affirming essentials. What are yours?

 

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