I bet that if you got a dollar for every time you heard someone unceremoniously exclaim “THAT’s what you’re eating?”, you’d be on your way to being seriously wealthy by now. Feeling like the alien among the human masses can be part of the terrain when you are a raw fooder, vegan or even just a healthy eater.
So ingrained in our social culture are food and drinking practices, that doing anything differently can feel like you are waving a red flag at a herd of bulls and shouting “come and mow me down guys, pronto!”. Social situations can suddenly become fear-inducing occasions which make you want to pee your pants or run in the other direction. Gone are the days where you would grab a glass of vino and scoff down a beef canap? between drags of a cheeky smoke (only socially of course). However, that doesn’t have to mean your social life has to be thrown out the window. You really can enjoy a full and satisfying social calendar with a little foresight, preparation and most of all, confidence in yourself. Here are 5 tips to make it easier:
1. Let’s start with the most important factor in enjoying a rich social life – confidence.
As with any aspect of life where you might be doing something a little different, it’s the confidence you do or don’t exude that can influence not only how you feel but also how others feel about you. If you rock up at your social events and enjoy healthy food that you love, quietly confident in your choices and decision to stay true to what serves you best, you are going to feel better about yourself and attract less unwanted attention. You may still get curious glances and questions from interested friends and family, maybe even some unwanted ones, but you will be limiting the number and severity of these comments just by your contentment with your choices.
2. Pick the social events and people you wish to invest your time and energy in.
If you are trying to heal and live a healthy and happy life, then the first thing you need to do when making any decision is to check in with you. Consider how you are feeling, what it will mean to you if you do or don’t socialise,
whether it will be good for you to push yourself out of isolation and get yourself into a new environment? Will it better for you to rest and be quiet? Just because you want to maintain a social life does not mean you have to continue to go to the same types and number of social events as you used to. Often changing your diet is the first step on a path of self reflection and it is perfectly fine to allow yourself time to go inwards and to say no to some invitations.
3. Let go of ideas of how things “should” be and how others “should” act.
No one will ever do anything exactly as you think they should do because
they are not you! Some people are just going to be difficult or make rude comments or try to put you down. Do not buy into their behaviour. It is usually just masking their own insecurities and lack of self worth. If you are at a loss for how to respond to negative people, you can always just say “I feel best when I eat this way”, or “I don’t like how alcohol makes me feel”. It’s very difficult to argue with a closed statement that says only how you personally feel.
4. Set your non negotiables
Make a list of your “non negotiables” to stay happy and healthy at social events, and then stick to it. Maybe that means staying vegan, eating only raw foods, not going to an event hungry or eating only food you bring with you. Maybe it means you will allow yourself to bend a little on your normal eating habits to feel comfortable. Whatever it may be, get very clear on your “absolute minimum” list, and then consider what you need to do make sure these things happen. Do you need to take a fresh veggie juice with you or do some research to find local stores that sell produce or meals you can take with you? Do you need to call ahead to friends, family or restaurants to check what food options will be available? Do you need to make a shopping list and buy items in advance so that you have yummy and healthy food choices ready for you at a moment’s notice? The key is to actually make your list and then put it into action!
5. Be your own chef
We all know just how much poor food choices can severely drain our energy
and mood.
Taking your own food that is incredibly delicious, beautifully presented and totally in line with your dietary choices can make all the difference in how much you enjoy a social event. If you love the food you bring you are not going to feel deprived so while it will suffice to bring carrot sticks and hummus, try taking something which is going to thrill you so that you can’t wait to dive into it at the event.
Even better, take an impressive veggie dish along with you to share with the other guests. Usually people will pounce on a beautifully presented vegetable dish so just be sure to put aside an extra container for yourself! Alternatively you can call ahead to the host/ess or restaurant to ensure there will be food choices for you, or you can eat a delicious meal or snack before you go. Whatever you decide to do, make sure there is food you can eat or that you are not hungry. I imagine you might be sporting a rather glum face if you get to a party and as everyone enjoys their feast of roasted meats, and sugar and flour heavy desserts you sip your non-filtered warm tap water!
At the end of the day, ask yourself this question: what am I willing to do to be healthy? Now go for it!
