As the holidays and the specter of a new year
approach, the ramp-up on weight loss programs, restrictive eating, and magic bullet food projects are coming out of the woodwork and springing up anew all over the place.
The ubiquitous focus on weight loss puts our eyes on the wrong ball and can increase craving and eating angst. The points of pain: overeating, mindless snacking, stress
eating, food 'addict' urges, cravings - these are all symptomatic of an underlying problem.
And no, it's not low self-esteem. Or a secret desire not to be well. Or food addiction.
Mindfulness of what we eat and when we eat, and learning to navigate moods and mind states with simple tools gets to the roots of our challenges, restoring a healthy, happy relationship with food, eating, and our bodies, as well as bringing back the pure joy of eating and, along the way,
your naturally healthy weight. Putting all the obsessive attention on exactitude of every bite misses the point.
I feel the need to speak up to counter the shame and guilt around
weight and the holidays from a different perspective. To that end, I am planning to sprinkle a few facebook live events through the holidays ahead, offering insights and inviting a different perspective - as an alternative to the damaging messages that will soon be bombarding all of us.
The intention is to live more joyfully and healthfully with food, eating, our bodies, and all of life. If we have known each other for any time, you know this perspective is core to my approach grounded in personal experience and time tested personally now for 25 years. If you have a copy of The Mindful Vegan Book, you know this message is all over the place in her pages.
As for cravings, there are 3 simple origins to them - and having an understanding of what these are provides you with the tools to dissolve them. Because no matter where you are with your health and your body, being blindsided by cravings is a point of pain for all of us. What if you could get some insights into them so you would not be at their
mercy?
May all live in harmony this holiday season,
