Nourishment is about more than eating. It is
about intention. Not everything you put into
your mouth is nutritious. Many processed,
treated, and refined foods lack any
nutritional value at all. They are laced with
chemicals and preservatives. They are high in
salt, sugar, and unhealthy fat. In other
words, they offer a lot of what you don’t need
and very little of what you do.
Since these foods are typically void of
nutrition, we eat them to fill other needs.
Their consumption is often rooted in cravings.
These cravings may be for a certain taste,
emotional comfort or because we are thirsty.
It is important that you acknowledge these
alternative reasons for eating. Observe
yourself and your diet to identify any
patterns. Do you eat when you are happy? Sad?
Bored? Lonely? Do you crave sugar? Salt?
Spices? Are you confusing thirst with hunger?
Pinpointing these patterns will help you to
develop strategies for coping with them. In
turn, these strategies will be your guide to a
lifetime of good health and feeding your body
with intention and nutrition.
Overcoming Cravings
Taste.
There are five types of taste. Sweet, sour,
salty, astringent, and bitter. At different
times, the body will seek them all out. Many
people are familiar with the desire for
something sweet after a meal or a salty snack
in the afternoon. These cravings are based in
taste, not nutrition. Scientists have proven
that on an average, cravings last
approximately fifteen minutes. Even though you
feel as if you won’t last another second
without a cookie, it simply isn’t true. If you
can occupy your mind with deep breathing or
another activity until the craving passes, you
will survive.
The Ayurvedic lifestyle also offers a
strategy to deal with taste based cravings.
According to these ancient teachings, the best
way to solve the problem of eating for taste
is to include all these sensations in every
meal. Look for natural sources of each taste
and combine them to satisfy your food cravings
before they begin. Your meals should include a
variety of foods from all the taste groups.
This includes sweet fruit, astringent herbs,
sour yogurt, salty cheese, and bitter spinach.
This may require that you begin to see foods
differently, but that is an inevitable
byproduct of feeding your body with intention.
Food becomes fuel, not an answer to a craving.
Thirst.
The human body is 70% water. Therefore, it
is imperative to your health that you remain
hydrated. Most people don’t drink enough water
and when this occurs, the body sends you a
signal. Often this signal is misinterpreted as
hunger. So before you hit the food, drink a
glass of water. This may be just what your
body needs. And giving your body what it needs
is the basis for proper nutrition.
Comfort.
Many cravings are emotionally based.
Throughout your life you may have associated
food with a number of situations. These
associations, in turn, became automatic
responses. If as a child, you were treated to
a bowl of ice cream when you were sad, chances
are as an adult you will repeat this pattern.
The ice cream made you feel better then, so
you assume it will make you feel better now.
It often does, for a little while. However, in
the end you are still left with an unresolved
situation or emotion. The only thing you fed
was your sweet tooth, and as we all know what
it wants is hardly ever nutritious.
Our world is a highly stressful one and
many people turn to food as an escape. Like
the emotional eating described above, eating
to release stress is only a temporary fix. It
does not offer you valid emotional or
nutritional value. Therefore, instead of
reaching for the chips, reach for a pad and
pencil. Help yourself learn to deal with your
emotions by making a list under the heading,
Emotions I Would Feel If I Allowed Myself To
Do So. Write down any emotion, positive or
negative, that you feel you are holding back.
Your list may include anger, joy, guilt,
sadness or love. When you eat out of stress or
for comfort, you are using food to stuff these
emotions back inside.
Now go down your list and allow yourself to
really feel each emotion. Use deep belly
breathing to help yourself focus and center.
This process teaches that these emotions are a
part of you with a need to be expressed. You
owe it to yourself and your health to freely
express your emotions without fear or shame.
Once you accomplish this, you may find that
open communication is more satisfying than
cookies, cake or any other food stuff you
would have previously reached for.
Dr. Tom Goode is the co-founder of the
International Breath Institute, which was
created in 1991 to teach people how to enhance
their health and prevent premature aging. He
is also an inspirational speaker, workshop
facilitator, and author of five books, the
latest of which is The Holistic Guide to
Weight Loss, Anti-Aging and Fat Prevention. To
contact Dr. Goode or for more information on
Full Wave Breathing, visit
www.fullwavebreathing.com
Bronwyn
Ritchie's
