June wasn’t all that different to May.

I continued to take things day by day, and learned to become more aware of my energy, clarity and contentment (or lack thereof) after a meal. One thing that did occur though, that stood out significantly, was my next run-in with chocolate mudcake.

It was my dad’s 60th and my aunty ordered his cake from a bakery. I was sure to omit the cous cous from my salmon and greens at the restaurant, so I could indulge in a slice of my favourite type of cake.

I was disappointed to say the least.

I felt sad, bloated, frustrated and restless afterwards. Such polar opposite emotions to what I had felt after eating mudcake in April. T

o be fair, I don’t think the cake was as tasty as the April one – and this probably made a huge difference. When a cake is rich, spongy and has thick, creamy chocolate ganache, no matter how intolerant you are, it’s pretty hard to regret the indulgence. If you enjoy every bite with a #noregrets attitude, you often feel happy afterwards.

If the cake is on the drier-side and the ganache is so-so, then all you’re going to be plagued with the ‘it was so NOT worth it’ routine. Dad’s birthday cake was the latter.  I now questioned whether I even wanted to make allowances for wheat at all, and planned on never eating it in the form of birthday cake again.

A disappointing experience with a cappacino and another ocassion with gelati (way too sweet!), also had me questioning what exceptions I was willing to make. June was the month of  confrontation, disappointment and empowerment all in one.

I’d become an involuntary health-nerd (a term I use with positive connotations – nerding out over broccoli and coconut oil is a sign of self-respect). I wasn’t ‘on a diet’ or ‘following a trend’.

I’d only feel content when I ate REAL food.

Porridge appealed to me, cereal did not.

Homemade curries satisfied me, take-away sandwiches did not.

Cheese and fruit platters excited me, ice-cream did not.

And so-on and so-forth.

Tip #6 for transitioning to a whole foods diet … Now that you’re aware of your body and how you feel when you eat certain foods, you can be selective. You aren’t that person that feels guilty about wanting the cake … you don’t want the cake. You aren’t forcing yourself to choose this over that … you genuinely prefer sushi over Subway (and Subway cookies … I never thoughtI’d see the day where I’d willingly forgoe the 3 for $2 cookie deal, yet here I am).

Embrace your ability to choose what you want and what you know you need to feel energetic and vital. Stand strong in this personal power and don’t let mainstream views of what is perceived to be deprivation (not eating refined baked goods isn’t deprivation it’s an act of self-love) or disordered eating (abstaining from poor quality foods isn’t anorexia, it’s integrity), get in the way of you feeling happy and thriving.