Very few of us have our relationship with food completely waxed. Generally some of us are overly fond of food while others are overly fearful of it. A healthy relationship with food is one in which the individual feels the freedom and control to start eating as well as the freedom and control to stop eating. The right thinker also knows (deep down where it matters) that food is not the enemy – our bodies are our greatest tool in life, and we need food to nourish and sustain them.
All that said…
WHY HAVE A SPECIFIC NO DIET DAY EVERY YEAR?
The thinking behind this annual observance is threefold:
- Raise awareness of how diets can be harmful
- Teach us to respect and accept all body types
- Promote healthy eating over dieting
International No Diet Day aims to highlight and remedy the more common bad eating habits that people generally battle with, as well as educate people about the better approaches to weight loss, such as adopting a sustainable eating regime (coupled with regular exercise, of course) that cuts down on fat-saturated and sugary foods and replaces them with whole, natural and plenty of raw foods.
While many of us may pay lip service to the idea that we’re all beautiful and worthy exactly as we are, the true test of a reformed, healthy mind is if we accept ourselves just the way we are. Can we say to ourselves as Darcy said to Bridget Jones, “I like you – just the way you are”?
This year International No Diet Day (INDD) is on the 6th May. Why not take the opportunity to build somebody else up, through words or actions, and then also do the same for yourself? Let’s spread the message of this day that all body types are acceptable and that a lifestyle of healthy eating is far more beneficial than dieting!
FANTASTIC LOCAL EATERIES THAT SERVE UP HEALTHY FOOD
One way of helping to develop right eating habits is finding healthy meals that are both tasty and interesting. This can be difficult when eating out, as many restaurants and cafés major in cream, salt and refined sugars. We thought we’d introduce you to just a few of the great eateries out there that are really good options if you want to embrace a lifestyle of good living and eating.
CAPE TOWN
Cape Town is chockfull of healthy eating options. There’s The Kitchen in Woodstock, which uses locally sourced produce and daily serves up 20 different and inventive salads such as the Lentil, Black Rice and Coriander salad. There’s also Crush, in the CBD, which offers freshly squeezed 
juices and organic coffees. You could try The Tibetan Teahouse, which overlooks False Bay and offers carnivores as well as pure herbivores a range of healthy and delicious Tibetan meals.
You could also visit La Belle Café and Bakery in Constantia if you’re gluten-intolerant, the Nook Eatery in Stellenbosch for a smoothie, or Dear Me, in the city centre, which aims to preserve as many nutrients as possible in the food dished up.
DURBAN
Sushi is a great option for healthy eating and Durban has The Green Mango in Morningside, Daruma in North Beach and Cape Town Fish Market in Umhlanga. There are other sushi restaurants but these three are arguably the city’s best.
There’s also Earthmother Café, which offers organic vegetarian and vegan breakfasts and lunches in a garden setting.
And here in Durban, as elsewhere, don’t forget Kauai, which aims to fill a niche in the fast food market by offering wholesome, tasty food such as its famous smoothies and well-stuffed wraps that contain only the freshest ingredients available.
JOHANNESBURG
Those residing in the country’s biggest city are truly spoilt for choice. Free Food is an inexpensive vegan restaurant that offers takeaways and boasts food with no additives or preservatives. Soup Salad Sandwich in Sandton is another affordable option; its menu is varied and unique and contains items such as its signature Chilli Chicken Corn soup.
Mexican Fresh in Hyde Park offers flavourful Mexican cuisine prepared from the freshest ingredients available. The Greenside Café is one of the city’s most popular vegetarian restaurants and has a varied, international menu which includes options such as Mixed Grain Porridge and Tofu and a Sweet Potato Wrap.
Do you have a favourite restaurant or café that serves up healthy options you’d like others to know more about? Please share with us who they are and which menu item you love the most there. Let’s encourage one another both today and all the other days of the year to choose healthy lifestyle options that promote happy