" For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. " Song of Solomon

October 15, 2007

The Joy of Eating

My previous post dealt with the angst we feel when we eat what we believe to be "bad" foods. If you want to progress past the angst try this exercise.

FOOD EXERCISE

Choose a "bad" food you love...for me it might be a nice hot piece of buttery garlic bread.

Think about how "bad" it is for you. All those carbs....all that saturated fat...all those calories...no fiber....very little nutrients....little protein. Take a bite...wow...it is heaven...but so "bad"....you take another bite...it is divine...but with each bite, the guilt grows and weighs on your mind...when you finally finish that bread, what you remember is not the "joy" in the eating...you've been robbed of that. All you are filled with is guilt and remorse and are left wanting more...because food that is "bad" is like the "forbidden fruit" and therefore more desirable.

Now, take that same food. Banish the negative thoughts. Don't allow them in your thinking. Think to yourself...what lovely food. This tastes divine. And with each bite experience the pleasure and joy of eating such a yummy scrumptious food. Allow the intense pleasure of the experience of eating to fill you up... with joy and pleasure...indulge in the pleasure of eating the food ....and you won't have to stuff yourself with the food in an effort to be filled, or "full"...a normal portion will satiate you.

Let your "filling" be in the pleasure and satisfaction of the eating experience, and not in the volume of the food. Don't allow yourself to be robbed of joy and left in want and hunger...banish the thoughts that police your eating and experience the freedom of eating minus the shackles that make eating the focus and master of your life.
"....there have been many times when I have shed bitter tears, when if I had understood the situation better, I would have celebrated my good luck instead."

DISCLAIMER

I am not a doctor and all information, suggestions, etc are my personal opinion only.