I stick to a clean diet with lots of organic food and raw juices.

“I stick to a clean diet with lots of organic food and raw juices. Every now and then, I have a slice of cake or pizza, though; you have to have cheat days to keep you going.” — thus spoke Ashley Roberts, with the gentle wisdom of one who understands the delicate balance between discipline and delight. Her words, though wrapped in the language of nourishment, carry the timeless message of moderation, self-love, and the harmony between the body’s needs and the soul’s desires.

To live by a clean diet is to honor the temple of the body — to give it what is pure, what is alive, what springs directly from the earth. The ancients knew this well: the organic was sacred, untainted by greed or haste. The raw juice of fruit and root was the nectar of vitality, the very blood of nature coursing through man once more. Yet Roberts, in her wisdom, does not preach denial. She knows that a life too rigid grows weary, that even the fittest heart can fade if joy is starved. Thus, she reminds us: have your slice of cake, your bite of pizza, and let gratitude, not guilt, flavor every morsel.

There is a deeper lesson here — that discipline without compassion becomes tyranny. The body thrives on balance, and so does the spirit. To live too strictly, to forbid all sweetness, is to misunderstand the rhythm of life itself. Nature has its seasons: growth and rest, sowing and harvest, purity and indulgence. Even the monk, after fasting, breaks bread with reverence. The cheat day is not rebellion; it is restoration — a moment when the heart reminds the mind that living well is not only about restraint, but about remembering the joy of being alive.

Think of the philosopher Epicurus, who spoke not of gluttony, but of pleasure as wisdom. He taught that joy, when tempered with mindfulness, is the foundation of peace. He would eat simple bread and olives, but he would savor them as though they were gifts from the gods. When he occasionally indulged in honey or wine, it was not from weakness, but from gratitude. So too does Ashley Roberts stand in this tradition — she does not worship food, but honors it; she does not flee pleasure, but embraces it in its rightful measure.

The cake and pizza she mentions are symbols, not of excess, but of humanity. They remind us that perfection is not the goal — sustainability is. A man who denies himself every indulgence will soon break his own vows; but one who allows joy in its season will endure. In truth, the same rule governs every discipline — art, study, love, faith. To succeed, one must hold both structure and softness, both focus and forgiveness.

And so the origin of her wisdom lies in experience — the understanding that health, whether of the body or of the heart, is not a static state, but a dance. The dancer must know when to move, when to pause, when to breathe. A clean life without moments of joy grows sterile; a joyous life without care grows chaotic. Only the one who blends the two walks the golden path of harmony.

Let this be your lesson, O seeker of balance: pursue purity, but do not fear pleasure. Eat well, live cleanly, and give your body what sustains it — but also give your soul its festivals. Let your cheat days remind you of abundance, not weakness. In every part of life — in work, in health, in love — remember that the greatest strength is found not in extremity, but in equilibrium.

For the heart that knows when to rest, when to feast, when to laugh, and when to strive — that heart will endure every season. And in such a life, every bite, every moment, every breath will taste of gratitude.