INTRODUCTION TO CONSCIOUS EATING

WHY DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT?

Food.

It fuels our bodies, minds and spirits.

It could be argued as one of the most, important things we do each day for optimal performance.

What do we eat and why?

Have you ever stopped to think about what you put into your body?

Exploring what we eat and why can give key insights into the workings of the mind.

WHY DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT?

I first time I asked myself this question was five years ago when invited to join my gym’s Whole Life Challenge. WLC is an 8 week program to overhaul your diet eliminating sugar, gluten, dairy, processed foods and other foods that can cause inflammation in the body.

I joined out of curiosity and to support my Crossfit community, naive to the bomb this was going to drop on everything I though (or didn’t think) about food.

I didn’t view anything particularly bad about my diet. My typical dinner was a large plate of pasta with pesto sauce, vegetables, grilled chicken topped with Parmesan cheese and served with bread and garlic butter. Yum! Sounds good, right?

Others may do the same thing as I did back then when analyzing their diet by saying: “I don’t eat that badly.” Or “I eat pretty healthy.” If there is no problem then, why change?

WHY DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT?

Habit. Most of us eat the way we eat because that is how we have always eaten.

I was raised in a Mormon family in Idaho. My mom was the perfection seeking housewife who did it all; cooked, cleaned, made our clothes, quilted, crafted, played music all while raising four kids. She gained her sense of value from what she did for our family. Her cooking was by far the most important on her assessment of self-worth. Mormons know how to make a good casserole and my mom was famous for hers. Her dish of lasagna with layers of ricotta cheese and homemade noodles would have the neighbors knocking down our door. Typical dinners consisted of a large portion of meat, served with potatoes loaded with butter, cheese and sour cream. On the side was canned vegetable of some sort– usually corn or peas. The meal was always served with mom’s homemade bread. Our home was constantly filled with the inviting aroma of baked goods. I never lacked for a cookie, cakes, or treat. Food was love and we filled our bellies with it.

My diet expanded a bit in adulthood, but this was my foundation and formed my habits, likes and dislikes regarding food; not to mention my emotional attachment to food. We will get more into our food stories and emotional eating later this week.

WHY DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT?

I printed out the approved and not approved food list from the WLC web site. ”No potatoes, bread, rice or pasta….hmmm,” I thought, “What am I going to eat instead?”

That was a good question. Prior to the Challenge, I had never considered not eating carb heavy meals. Bread and pasta were a staples of my diet. They filled me up. What was I going to eat instead? It was the first time I had ever stopped and considered not eating the way I had always eaten.

I scanned the list: sweet potatoes stood out to me as the only starch that sounded filling. At time, I disliked sweet potatoes. They made me think of the sugary mush topped with marshmallows that mom cooked once a year for Thanksgiving. No one in my family liked the dish and only ate it so that my mom wouldn’t feel bad.

I was committed so, I decided to give them another go.

For week one, I stocked up on fruits, veggies, eggs, meat and sweet potatoes. I scanned every label meticulously to eliminate any foods with sugar and additives. Much to my dismay, much of my typical food stock items like soups, pasta sauces and condiments were loaded with sugar. What? Why is there so much sugar in everything?

I prepped and planned my meals for the week. Everything was set for success. “No problem.” I thought. “I can do this.” However, nor my mind or body were prepared for the shock I was about to level on it. I had no Idea how strong my food habits were.

I made it about two weeks until I caved to a gigantic plate of macaroni and cheese with bacon. I devoured it.

WHY DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT?

Blog posts for the remainder of the week are on conscious eating. To start, think about what you are putting in your body every day and why? Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to change anything about your diet. Simply, think about what you are eating. Why you like what you like?

What formed your food habits?

Practice focusing on only eating for one meal a day. Eliminate all distractions possible. Turn your phone off and put it away. Turn off music, tv, close your book. Just eat. Notice what comes up. It is surprisingly challenging and uncomfortable. Here is this meal we look forward to eating yet we are distracted the entire time.

Listen to the reading “Exploration of Eating.” Then, prior to your no-distraction meal, listen to “ Taking a Single Bite” meditation. This will increase your ability to focus on one thing at a time as well as initiate conscious thought around your food.

Contemplate and journal your experience.

***It is important to eliminate good, bad, right wrong from our vocabulary when discussing food. It creates a need to defend and/or self-punish (judging mind). We will speak of food in terms of purpose.

To your greatness.