Planet Acupuncture |
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“After breathing and smiling, we look down at our
food in a way that allows the food to become real. This food reveals our
connection to the earth. Each bite contains the life of the sun and the
energy of the earth. The extent to which our food reveals itself depends
on us. We can see and taste the whole universe in a piece of bread.
Contemplating our food for a few seconds before eating, and eating in
mindfulness, can bring much happiness.” It is a fact that millions of Americans are physically out of balance and suffering from chronic diseases that are directly linked to our diets. There is so much available to us that we have lost our internal gauge of how much is too much amid the buffet of life. And it’s making us sick. In order to create a system to monitor our culture of excess we have become unhealthily obsessed with compartmentalizing our diet into fat, calories, carbs, good cholesterol vs. bad cholesterol. All this in an atmosphere of triple cheeseburgers, fried dough balls covered with sugar and cinnamon that come free with your deep-dish pizza . Or , the alternative chemically-laden high tech, “diet” foods. It all seems to beg the question we are all afraid to address, “Does Success equal Excess?” For thousands of years traditional cultures looked at the body as a functioning whole there was no such thing as mind/body medicine because the two were never separated. In fact food was the first medicine. Food has a remarkable way of either helping us feel the connection between our body, mind and spirit or disconnecting us from our physical and emotional selves. Medical Science has studied and now recognizes that the cellular/physical and the emotional/spiritual are biochemically linked. They each profoundly impact one another. Nutritionists and experts on eating disorders see that clients who are successful at losing weight healthily and keeping it off have one thing in common. That is their willingness to honestly look at the link between their bodies, the food they put in them and their emotional/spiritual lives. BREATHE, TAKE THREE DEEP BREATHS RIGHT NOW. You have taken the time to read this which means you are ready for a change. Ask yourself; “WHAT FEEDS ME? WHAT IS IT THAT I TRULY WANT. I believe you are ready to give the intention of changing your eating patterns serious and consistent importance each and every day. Studies show a vast majority of people struggling with weight problems know what to eat. The major dilemmas of weight control lie between our ears not on our plate. Say no to the voice in your head calling you a bad boy or girl for eating such and such or a good boy or girl for eating the “right” things .Prepare yourself to UNLEARN .Set aside your beliefs and allow some room for new possibilities. What we need to know about nutrition, food, and health gets lost in what we are told we should know. Experiment with the following exercise borrowed from two of my current heroes, Evelyn Tibol and Elyse Resch therapists and coauthors of Recovery Book for the Chronic Dieters; Rediscovering the pleasures of eating . These two ladies help clients recover the idea that food is one of the necessities and great joys of life when it isn’t abused. Imagine you are in a huge appliance store. You’re standing in the entertainment section in front of a wall full of televisions. You look to the right and see a well-known talk show host talk show host interviewing the doctor and author of the newest diet book. You look to your left and see a former model demonstrating the “fat-burner” the key to her new diet. Above your head at eye level is your parents telling you how you will regret that second piece of cake. You hear the voice of your spouse and spin around. His or her face is three times its size on a screen and reminding you to stick to your diet. Is that you’re room-mat from college on the big-screen! Now looking down and frantically searching for your keys,“I gotta get outta here!” is all you can think you notice the remote control sitting on a console beside you. One by one you shut off all the T.V.s surrounding you. The chatter of all these different voices is gone. You are left alone in the silence. Now you can begin your journey into discovering what foods and meals are healthy for you and which are not. Every one has the capacity to be an intuitive eater. What it requires is three criteria:
I know, it looks simple on paper but most of us struggle with one, two or all of the above. Here are the steps toward Intuitive eating; Discover satisfaction. When you eat what you really want in a pleasant environment you will notice it takes a lot less food to feel satisfied. Healthy food that feeds your senses, your body and your taste-buds is your ultimate goal. Slow Down plain and simple. Notice you food’s color, texture, aroma as well as the taste. This means no car eating or TV watching. You can not appreciate your food while driving or looking at the television. Honor your hunger. Keep your body well fed avoiding the primal drive to overeat. Starvation will stand in the way of all of your good intentions and healthy food choices. Pay attention to your cravings. Take note of foods, food groups, or flavors you may crave. It is not shameful to crave foods. In fact it is your body’s way of communicating its needs to you. Chinese medicine highly respects a patients food preferences because it gives clues as to that individuals unique digestive system. Refer to the food chart in my article on Chinese nutrition. Choose sensible foods in the category where most of your cravings or preferences fall. Cope with your emotions without using food. Keep your exercise routine simple and low maintenance. A brisk walk can relieve stress, frustration, anger, loneliness, and confusion. Respect your body. It’s difficult to reject the diet mentality if you’re overly critical of your shape. Develop a list of at least five things you like about your body . Write them down (this is important don’t leave it out). Evelyn Tibol and Elyse Resch authors of Rediscovering the pleasures of eating agree it is important to identify your eating style.
Okay so now you know. Don’t judge yourself. Just use the information to your benefit. The most helpful thing I did to rid myself of my preoccupation with food was to admit to my dependence on it. Today food provides for me a physical, as well as, an emotional sense of nurturing and fulfillment everyday. What else in life is so consistent. Try thinking of meals or snacks as a blessed reminder of our mortality, the comfort of ritual and routine and the abundance and variety of life. This approach in the moment makes calorie and gram counting seem frivolous and irrelevant. EAT, BREATHE, SMILE, LIVE. (UPCOMING: Related article on "Chinese Nutrition and the Five Emotions: The Language of Food Cravings" for specific information about Chinese Nutrition.) |
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