In this life, we often feel discomfort … or we would if we didn’t have so many coping mechanisms to hide from it. One more glass of wine to dull the edges and forget about that nagging feeling that there is something out of balance. One more packet of sweeties to numb yourself with a sugar fix.

But if we could sit down and simply be when we had these strange feelings; if we could accept and really look at whatever it is we’re hiding from now, how bad could it be?

I mean, really. How bad could it be? Would it kill us? No? Then it’s not that bad. Would it scar us for life? Probably not. Would it make us uncomfortable? Possibly. Probably. Almost certainly.

Is discomfort such a scary thing that we have to keep stuffing our mouths or drowning our sorrows? Is the cure worse than the disease? Yes it is, if it’s keeping us locked in self-defeating behaviours and habits.

So next time when reaching for a packet of crisps or an extra glass of wine—or whatever the sin de jour—sit down quietly and listen to your body, your thoughts, your being. What’s it saying? Where’s the discomfort?

And that, not a problem with food or alcohol, is what you have to deal with.

How did we get to the stage where there are more products than produce in our trolleys? What if we changed that and bought mostly produce and decided that we would produce the rest ourselves?

It could make a great impact on our health if we decided that if a product had an ingredient list of more than two, we would eschew the packet in the supermarket and get busy in the kitchen with some simple ingredients instead. Imagine how that would affect our consumption and make us really think about our choices. Want cake? Then bake. And use the very, very best ingredients you can afford. Think about the quality of flour. The sugar. The fat. The eggs. What fruit or vegetable can be added? Zucchini, pumpkin, carrot, apple, orange, blueberry and many others can go into cakes and muffins.

Marinated meat? Buy fresh meat and whip up the marinade at home. Choose tip-top ingredients. In this era when every other website seems to have recipes, it’s not hard to find the information on how to make things yourself. Why have we given away our power to others? It is so simple to make these products ourselves and to know exactly what goes into them. I’ve found that when I take the time to do it myself, it makes a difference not only to the quality of the fare but also the amount I use. I’ve made  my own tomato sauce—also known as ketchup—a few times and it is quite a time-consuming exercise. It certainly made me think about how much I was using each time I reached for the container.

Of course, every meal doesn’t have to be a marathon. It takes less than 10 minutes to throw together a delicious salad, and that’s something we should do at least once every day. We should eat produce. Some fruit every day and vegetables including a whole host of greens. Raw. Steamed. Roasted. Raw nuts and seeds. If we want them salted and roasted, we do that ourselves—and use the best macrobiotic or Himalayan salt for the job.

Why shouldn’t we take the time to do these things ourselves? Food is nourishment, and food preparation is an important part of the process. We are grounded when we prepare our own food and we are even more in touch with our food and the earth if we grow it ourselves. Making our meals from single ingredients can be a time of creativity and satisfaction. We can set the table beautifully and have a true dining experience—unhurried, enjoyable, nurturing.

If we’re so busy we have to buy takeaway, we need to rethink the quality of our lives and make a conscious decision to slow down.  Food is a necessity but also a pleasure. Our homes should revolve around the kitchen, as they did in ages past. Not around the TV room.

I have it on good authority that when I was a baby learning to crawl then learning to walk, I didn’t give up at the first obstacle.The fact that I couldn’t do it right straight away apparently didn’t phase me. Not being perfect the first time I tried wasn’t an issue. And then I wasn’t perfect the second time I tried. Or the seventy-second time, I suppose. (Well, maybe I got it right a few times in between. I’m not that slow a learner!)

So when I do things less than perfectly now or I have a major fall from grace, the lesson is clear. I need to let go of my learned behaviours and revert to the attitudes of my babyhood, when what I had to do was clear in my mind and there was never any question that I was going to keep trying until I got it right.

If I can regain that steadfast focus I had as a child, a fall will simply be the trigger for renewed determination. It will not be a failure—just a fall.  As old Winston Churchill said, “Never give up.” Or to put it in American author Maya Angelou’s words, “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”

That’s why, although I’m less than perfect every day, I keep showing up, thinking about my health and trying until I get it right. Making new habits with food takes time. It may take many falls. I think it really is a case of get over it, get up and get on with it.