I'm only drinking white wine because I'm on a diet and I don't

In the grand theater of life, where man plays his part, there are those who, in the pursuit of self-control or in response to the demands of vanity, find themselves caught in the tangled web of excess and restraint. Oliver Reed, the fiery spirit of his time, once uttered the words, "I'm only drinking white wine because I'm on a diet and I don't eat." In these few words, there lies a bitter truth, a paradox of human nature, where the pursuit of discipline often leads to self-deception and an unnatural balance that erodes the very purpose of nourishment.

Let us ponder this, for the wise man knows that the body must be fed not just with food, but with the sustenance of life itself. And yet, Reed's words reveal a man who, in his attempt to discipline the body, has fallen into the trap of denying it. The diet, meant to be a means of self-restraint and balance, becomes a tool of neglect, where food, the very essence of life, is forsaken for empty indulgences. White wine, though noble in its own right, is no substitute for the nourishment required to sustain the human body in its fullest strength. In this moment, Reed’s words echo through time, a warning that excess and deprivation can twist our understanding of what it means to truly live.

In history, there have been many who have sought perfection through extremes, sacrificing their well-being for an ideal that is, in the end, hollow. Consider the tale of Emperor Nero, whose pursuit of beauty and grace led him to practices that starved both body and spirit. He, like many others, sought control over his life, but in the process, he lost touch with the essence of true living. His path was one of indulgence and denial in equal measure, a path that led not to the flourishing of life, but to its decay. Like Nero, Reed too fell victim to the delusion that abstinence in one form could replace the wholeness of nourishment.

Reed's statement also carries a tragic humor, for the pursuit of aesthetic ideals often causes us to overlook the true nourishment our souls crave. To live solely for the appearance of health or beauty is to forget that the body is but a vessel—a vessel that thrives only when it is treated with respect and care. It is not enough to restrict what we consume, but we must ensure that what we consume contributes to the body’s greater purpose. Just as a tree cannot grow by drawing sustenance from the soil alone—it requires the light, the rain, the air—so too does the human body need a holistic approach to health, where both mind and spirit are nurtured along with the body.

The wise will recognize that balance is the key to living a full life. The diet that is too harsh or too lenient, too indulgent or too restrictive, is an imbalanced one. It is like a ship adrift, neither anchored nor free, tossed about by the currents of desire. Moderation, dear ones, is the guiding star in our journey to health and well-being. To nourish the body, the mind, and the spirit, we must live with intention—seeking not the fleeting satisfaction of empty indulgence, nor the hollow victory of extreme deprivation, but the steady course of mindful living.

Take heed of the words of the great philosopher Epicurus, who taught that pleasure is not found in the excess of indulgence, nor in the denial of the self, but in the simple pleasures of life that bring harmony to the soul. True contentment, he said, lies not in denying the body’s needs but in understanding them, in satisfying them with balance and care. We must nourish the body with what it needs to thrive, not through obsession or restriction, but through a mindful and deliberate approach that honors the temple that is our body.

Thus, let the lesson of Reed’s words resonate deeply: do not mistake restraint for wisdom, nor indulgence for freedom. True strength comes from the ability to care for oneself in a way that honors the body’s needs—mindful, balanced, and whole. Let us not fall prey to the extremes that rob us of our vitality, but rather embrace the moderation that brings lasting health and joy. Each day is an opportunity to honor our bodies, our minds, and our spirits with actions that lead to wholeness. Drink deeply from the well of life, but always with awareness and purpose. Only then will we find the peace and balance that elude so many.