Self-sabotage?? Only VEGAN :D
Do you want only the best for yourself? The answer is yes, always. That's why there's no need to fear wanting to do anything, including eating vegan foods you enjoy.
As I've said before, psychology is an incredibly complex thing. So is your body's physiology. There are about 37 trillion cells in the human body, and each one carries out hundreds of thousands of tasks and is somehow able to function in coherence with all the other 36,999,999,999,999 cells. So how do they all know exactly what to do at exactly the right time? Science is showing us the mechanisms behind cellular biology however, much of the intricacies of cellular function and coordination between larger groups of cells is still a mystery. So what can you do to be sure that the cells that make up your physical body are happy and healthy? You can trust that they must be communicating their needs somehow, and I trust that their needs are communicated through the wants and needs that present themselves in our conscious minds.
Do you ever want to eat because of stress?? Of course you do and you should never feel bad about it. Because being in a state of stress is a state that requires energy, since your metabolism is increased due to energy being directed towards mechanisms that allow for fighting or fleeing from dangerous situations. While fight or flight sympathetic nervous system activation is useful short term, the parasympathetic rest and digest is better long term. So whatever gets the body back to this state as fast as possible is going to be the first thing you think of. Chips, chocolate, ice cream, oh my! Not to say that other things, like meditation, can't do the same thing, and I believe should be practiced so you don't need to rely on comfort foods to relieve stress, but if you can eat a candy bar and know it's the right thing because at least you don't feel stressed anymore, you're still heading in the right direction!
And using food for comfort is one of the first adaptations to stress that we learn. Think about a baby that is upset and crying. It often associates being comforted with being fed and unless you were taught other coping mechanisms growing up it is entirely possible that food is still the fastest, and in our society the most accessible form of comfort you have available. If you are able to meditate whenever you are stressed and that calms you down that's awesome and I hope more work places are allowing workers 10 minute meditation breaks if need be! But if you are feeling stressed and craving a food, it is because you have developed a coping mechanism that is fast and effective at reducing stress. So which is more desirable to you and your entire body? Remaining in a state of chronic stress? Or eating a candy bar? The candy bar, obviously ;) and as long as you don't feel guilty about it, which can lead to disordered eating in which instead of one candy bar you crave 10, the one candy bar is definitely a better option. The body always knows what it needs and communicates it's needs by influencing your thoughts. And by giving your body the things you crave, it is training you to become increasingly in touch with your body consciousness, and improve the resonance between what your body, mind and spirit want, which is, in my opinion, to feel happy, healthy and loved.
And your emotional guidance system is a built in tool that allows you to get there. So if you have a vegan food craving you always can give in, guilt free, since it is the fastest way to return the body to a state of relaxation which is the fastest route to healing. On the other hand if, like me, you have so much guilt built up surrounding food choices that the guilt you experience after eating a food you crave is worse feeling than denying yourself, you do have the choice to do whatever you feel is the right thing however, if your food craving comes back to haunt you, you can always choose to give in and be at peace.
Food should taste good and life including foods should be enjoyed! And a state of disease in the body is more a lack of harmony between our body's needs. So be patient with yourself in terms of achieving long term goals, and compassionate towards yourself for always trying to do what your body wants most. You WILL get there, just keep believing you know exactly what your body needs to be happy and healthy and the changes you desire will manifest themselves without even trying.
Who says the vegan things you want aren't the vegan things you need? On some level they certainly are. And as long as you trust that you only want what's best for your health and happiness, you never need to worry about your choices leading you astray ever again. So you can relax. You already know the best way to optimal health and wellness and it's by trusting that you really do know, and so all of your vegan decisions based on your emotions are the right ones. A happy heart intuits a healthy body, so be easy and eat the vegan candy bar and enjoy it too! :D
And for more information about how learning to trust yourself will allow all of your hopes and aspirations to come true please visit my corresponding life coaching website yourlucidlife.com.