It is that
time of year again when the gorilla pull of cravings for sweet holiday
foods can prove overwhelming. When individuals who have made solid
commitments to eat a nutritious whole foods diet come face to face with a
barrage of cookies, cakes, chocolates and candies in the office, at
home, and in the classroom; the stress can give some people no choice
but to cave into the temptation.
Now, that can also be a great excuse for the classic, Oh, what
the hell, moment and dive head first into the candy dish. I
do realize that confronting holiday temptations may be more than mere
mortals can endure; and yet we create the environment that puts us right
into that place we have no business being. Your heart says no, no,
while your brain says Oh why not have just a little and then I will
never eat chocolate, cookies, cake, candy, again. It’s those
little white lies we tell ourselves that start the whole snowball
rolling down hill. Perhaps if you step out of the box and change your
perspective you may be able to modify your behavior enough to get you
through the holidays without to much damage to your waistline.
1. Emotional Eating: “I am really struggling
with food, I’m back to my old eating habits and as a result my weight is
up and my energy and self-esteem are down. I know I need to just do it,
but I’m really resisting.”
Take a moment, seriously now, stop, sit down in a quiet place and ask
yourself why you are resisting? Are you angry with someone? Bored with
your life? Frazzled beyond the normal? Is food just placating something
deeper that needs to be addressed? Answer the questions of why first and
then begin to consider some alternatives to over eating. Such as
dealing with the unpleasant situation, becoming more active in your
life, reducing the stress and making time for yourself. Most importantly
get back into the kitchen and create some healthy body balancing meals.
2. Sugar Blues: “I just got word that I am
pre-diabetic and I know it is from eating sugar and refined
carbohydrates. How do I get my blood sugar back to normal?”
America, 2010, tied up with a candy cane bow and weighing in with 125
pounds of refined sugar under each belt. Sugar makes food taste good,
and makes you feel good by raising your brain chemicals, serotonin and
beta-endorphins to a dramatic high. Problem is what goes up, must come
crashing down producing unstable blood sugar levels with a nasty mood in
the bargain. Best to raise your blood sugar gradually by using
healthier forms of sweeteners in moderation. It’s not necessary to go
cold turkey and cut out sugar altogether, unless a medical condition
demands you do so; instead incorporate sweeteners such as organic maple
syrup, unrefined honey, rice syrup, agave syrup, stevia and xylitol into
your holiday desserts. Then bring these with you to work and/or social
occasions to share with others. “Be the change you want to see in
the world” may have been Gandhi speaking about peaceful resolution
to conflict, but I have always understood it to mean everything that I
do in my life, including the food I share with others during the
holidays.
3. Work Stress: “I need to really get back on
track with my eating habits. Work continues to be insane and three weeks
ago we had another lay off and 14 people lost their jobs.The two
absolute devils for me are decaf coffee and sweets.”
Here’s another instance when taking a moment to sit and observe your
fear and anxiety can reveal some profound insights and solutions. You
might begin by asking yourself what is the worst that can happen? If the
worse thing is that you lose your job, can you see it as an opportunity
disguised as loss? Visualize the kind of life you could create for
yourself if you were not working insane hours under a constant threat of
being laid off. Once you see that you can survive the worst your
imagination has to offer your nervous system can find some respite and
you can stop pushing down your fears with food.
4. Pleasure-Pain: “I was sick, in pain, going
through chemotherapy, and the doctor told me not to worry about what I
ate, so I just let go of all my discipline and now, 30 pounds later, I
feel worse than ever.”
Let’s face it, food is instant pleasure. Our brain chemistry responds
to this pleasure chemically, emotionally and physically within seconds
of placing that morsel into your mouth. In fact, the research on
chocolate alone has it increasing endorphins in the brain that mimic
feelings of being in love, or put another way, mimics the way we feel
following sexual orgasm. How’s that for pleasure?
The good news is that we need pleasure in our over
stressed lives, the bad news is we suffer when the pleasure is removed.
The cycle of desire and loss is a classic teaching in some religions.
The Buddhist defines “suffering” not just as a physical pain of the
body, but also the discontent our minds are afflicted with most of our
waking day. The immediate pleasure of food becomes a habitual exercise
in confronting our discontent. Rather than give in let the thought of
eating pass you by. A thought lasts a mere 1/25 of a second and it is
only when we grab on to that fleeting thought and follow it all the way
to our chocolate stash do we allow our cravings to control us.
Meditation is a powerful tool we can use to attain freedom from the
habits of our minds. However, the liberation does not happen overnight.
It is a matter of practice, effort, awareness and staying present to our
actions that will bring about results. The greatest battles we face in
life are always with ourselves and our relationship to food is a
constant reminder of how we can live with integrity in the world. When I
am confronted with foods I find difficult to resist I tell myself that I
am free to eat that piece of chocolate, or second helping or whatever
it is that calls me so strongly, but I choose not to do so right now.
Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, or even an hour later, but by then the
thought has passed and my mind is engaged elsewhere.
Delia Quigley is the
Director of StillPoint Schoolhouse, where she teaches a holistic
lifestyle based on her 28 years of study, experience and practice. She
is the creator of the Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, Cooking the Basics, and
Broken Bodies Yoga. Delia's credentials include author, holistic health
counselor, natural foods chef, yoga instructor, energy therapist and
public speaker. Follow Delia's blogs: brcleanse.blogspot.com and
brokenbodiesyoga.wordpress.com. To view her website go to www.deliaquigley.com
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