Food for Thought

What is your relationship with food? Do you break up and binge, then make up and vow to eat healthier?

It's tough when someone tells us our life styles are self-destructive. Yet deep inside we know when we at war with ourselves. We participate in food wars (aka known as eating junk), wars with friends and others and wars that attack our self-worth. Still, when it comes to eating, unless we are drunk, drugged or out of touch with reality, we have inklings of what kind of foods are good to us and for us. Our food problems tend to be more about staying on track than about amassing more information.

Given the mounting evidence of how physically liberating it can be to eat fresh unprocessed foods (see you  knew that didn't you) wouldn't it be great if there was a thought that would help you stay on track with your eating? Happy days. There is a thought. This amazing thought can help you stay slim, eat well, and help you maintain your perfect relationship with food. Okay, maybe that is a little over the top, but - it really is a fabulous thought. Drum roll - "My health is more important than my appetite." Isn't that a powerful thought to have when ordering food, milling around at a party or grocery shopping? This is a reminder to us that we value our health.

If you had to rate your relationship with food, would you get a good rating? There used to be a restaurant report on TV and the host would give "The Slime Report." The term referred to slime in the ice box. Some food inspector would come unannounced to check out the cleanliness of the restaurant. The reporter took the filthiest restaurants and gave their health scores. It was gruesome. You are your health inspector. Don't let you relationship with food be a slime report; make it a health fair. Keep this thought in a special place where it is easily accessible, "My health is more important than my appetite." I'm counting of you, to eat good food - you know you want to and I hope this thought can reinforce your choice for healthier living. Yum, yum. Eat well and prosper and may the fork be with you.

Sound Exercises

Recently I read an article in the Natural Triad by Sandy Seeber. The article is in the Oct. edition. You can get back editions. Seeber spoke of a sound practice/exercise that helps heal the body. It is based on Emilie Conrad’s work. Conrad uses sound to grow neurons in injured areas in the body. She has worked with success to alleviate or mitigate severe pain and made progress with people with spinal cord injuries.

Sound actually expands cells and does all kinds of things I’m not going to touch on, but I will recommend this great exercise. I do it first thing in the AM. There are two elements:  sound and breath. The exercise is actually a detox because whenever the exhale is longer than the inhale, we release toxins from the lungs. It is also meditative. If you have problems keeping your mind focused in meditation, try a breath/sound mantra.

Lie down and be aware of your body, the aches, tightness and any other sensations. Next move your right foot back and forth to the sound of “E.” make the sound deep in the body. DO it this three times in total and then repeat on the left side. The sound “E” relaxes the body. Next go up the body and do the sound “O” three times while holding these areas. Make the sound “O” deep in the body as well. Make it resound!

Bottoms of foot the middle with fingertips

Behind the knees – fingertips

Groin area fingertips face each other

Both collarbones with fingertips

Both sides of the neck

Both ears (Little finger and ring finger in front of ears and thumb and remaining fingers behind ears.)

Now relax for a few minutes and let the body do it’s work. Repeat the exercise two more times. Use this as a daily morning practice. I recommend it first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Doesn’t this SOUND like fun?