I really dislike wasting food.
I know the problems inherent in the admonition to "clear your plate", so I do stop short of that. And anyway, if you're not enjoying it, you're still wasting it in a sense.
Instead I advocate mindfulness about this ahead of time. Only purchase what you will likely use, and err on the side of smaller portions when serving yourself. That could mean you will be inconveniently hungry later, or miss out on something tasty. (Some time I will do another post on "feelings of deprivation"...)
I can't say I always live up to this ideal. I do wish others would share it more with me, though. The sad thing about it is that wasting food doesn't really benefit anyone, but it depletes resources and creates pollution that otherwise wouldn't have to be. Even sadder is the fact that others go hungry in this world.
Gratitude definitely helps to curb this. When you see food as a
precious gift given to you, you're less likely to throw it away. You're less likely to over-indulge in the first place. Better to focus as much as possible on taking only what you need.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Day 2: Lentils, beans, chickpeas
Already on the second day you have a complete protein. A perfectly healthy meal that you could eat for many days and be well-nourished.
Like with the rice, it's probably a good idea to make a big pot and then split it into different containers. Also, I had no compunction about just using canned beans and chickpeas, or bags of frozen rice, for convenience.
This in itself is something to be grateful for: food privilege. If you can easily arrange to have this meal in front of you, then you are truly lucky. And this is only two days into the diet! There are many reasons why someone might not be able to share this experience with you. The obvious one being that they simply can't afford the food. But they could also be constrained by food allergies. Or it could be too difficult to attain for other reasons besides cost.
Enjoy the heartiness of this meal. Enjoy the different ways you can eat it - warm or cold, whole or ground into paste by a food processor. Most of all, enjoy the way that it fills you with what you need.
Like with the rice, it's probably a good idea to make a big pot and then split it into different containers. Also, I had no compunction about just using canned beans and chickpeas, or bags of frozen rice, for convenience.
This in itself is something to be grateful for: food privilege. If you can easily arrange to have this meal in front of you, then you are truly lucky. And this is only two days into the diet! There are many reasons why someone might not be able to share this experience with you. The obvious one being that they simply can't afford the food. But they could also be constrained by food allergies. Or it could be too difficult to attain for other reasons besides cost.
Enjoy the heartiness of this meal. Enjoy the different ways you can eat it - warm or cold, whole or ground into paste by a food processor. Most of all, enjoy the way that it fills you with what you need.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Day 1: Brown Rice
This is the first day. It will be very hard to adjust, because in some ways it's like a fast. Without the excess sugars, calories, dairy, etc. your body will be surprised. Your mental state may be affected, so it's probably best to start this on a day with
as few stressful events happening as possible.
It will help to cook a big pot of rice and put it into smaller containers to reheat throughout the day. The idea is to eat as much as you want. But of course, you won't necessarily crave lots and lots of rice so you're unlikely to overeat. Sometimes you may just eat it cold if you're looking for convenience.
When you eat your first bowl of rice, start with thanks for the fact that it's hot, and the fact that you have water, a pot and a stove/rice cooker to prepare it. Even just plain rice can be very comforting when it's warm.
As you eat the rice, take time to sense the texture in your mouth. Think about what the substance of it will contribute to your body. You will receive energy, fiber, and even a small amount of protein from this. It will be enough to sustain you for this day, even if it's not a "proper" diet. Many people in the world are eating this same meal now, but not by choice.
This food is ultimately a gift from the sun and the earth. You may have paid for the labor to plant, harvest and transport it to you. But you couldn't possibly earn the energy that it provides to you. Try to imagine the journey of sunlight energy that's made its way to you and will sustain your existence.
If you can keep some of these thoughts in mind, it will likely help to stave off feelings of deprivation. In my experience, this was definitely the hardest day, because I was confronted with an intense focus on food. But I did what I could to nudge those thoughts into ones of thankfulness, and it helped quite a bit.
It will help to cook a big pot of rice and put it into smaller containers to reheat throughout the day. The idea is to eat as much as you want. But of course, you won't necessarily crave lots and lots of rice so you're unlikely to overeat. Sometimes you may just eat it cold if you're looking for convenience.
When you eat your first bowl of rice, start with thanks for the fact that it's hot, and the fact that you have water, a pot and a stove/rice cooker to prepare it. Even just plain rice can be very comforting when it's warm.
As you eat the rice, take time to sense the texture in your mouth. Think about what the substance of it will contribute to your body. You will receive energy, fiber, and even a small amount of protein from this. It will be enough to sustain you for this day, even if it's not a "proper" diet. Many people in the world are eating this same meal now, but not by choice.
This food is ultimately a gift from the sun and the earth. You may have paid for the labor to plant, harvest and transport it to you. But you couldn't possibly earn the energy that it provides to you. Try to imagine the journey of sunlight energy that's made its way to you and will sustain your existence.
If you can keep some of these thoughts in mind, it will likely help to stave off feelings of deprivation. In my experience, this was definitely the hardest day, because I was confronted with an intense focus on food. But I did what I could to nudge those thoughts into ones of thankfulness, and it helped quite a bit.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Day 0: Water
I have more things to say about gratitude, our emotional connection to food, etc. but I want to jump in with the daily practice idea before I forget the real point of this blog.
The theme of day 0 is "Water". I say "day 0" because I wouldn't actually advocate skipping food for a day before starting on a day of just rice. It probably wouldn't cause extreme harm, but it seems better to avoid things that aren't particularly healthy. But regardless of whether water gets its own day, it's a good theme to start with because it is so essential.
The first step is to get some water. Maybe you have it in a bottle, or filtered, or just out of the tap. Is it cold? Consider for a few moments how lucky you are to have been able to so easily attain this, and the fact that it is clean and ready for your consumption.
Feel the glass or cup that holds it, and think deeply about how vital this substance is for your survival. Though it is plain and tasteless, your body is sustained by it.
Imagine as you drink it how your body will use this water. Since your body is 75% water, it literally becomes a part of you and gives you form.
Think about how this water got here, and where its been. Water connects us to all other living beings on this earth. This particular glass of water contains molecules that have been part of many other life forms before you, and will continue to be part of life after you.
If you still have more in your glass, go ahead and finish what you have. Focus on enjoying this simple, refreshing drink.
The theme of day 0 is "Water". I say "day 0" because I wouldn't actually advocate skipping food for a day before starting on a day of just rice. It probably wouldn't cause extreme harm, but it seems better to avoid things that aren't particularly healthy. But regardless of whether water gets its own day, it's a good theme to start with because it is so essential.
The first step is to get some water. Maybe you have it in a bottle, or filtered, or just out of the tap. Is it cold? Consider for a few moments how lucky you are to have been able to so easily attain this, and the fact that it is clean and ready for your consumption.
Feel the glass or cup that holds it, and think deeply about how vital this substance is for your survival. Though it is plain and tasteless, your body is sustained by it.
Imagine as you drink it how your body will use this water. Since your body is 75% water, it literally becomes a part of you and gives you form.
Think about how this water got here, and where its been. Water connects us to all other living beings on this earth. This particular glass of water contains molecules that have been part of many other life forms before you, and will continue to be part of life after you.
If you still have more in your glass, go ahead and finish what you have. Focus on enjoying this simple, refreshing drink.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Guilt
It's sad when people feel guilty about eating, instead of viewing that food as something given to us. Someone prepared it. Someone else grew, harvested, and transported it. Maybe an animal gave its life. Certainly a plant did.
Haha - OK. I was supposed to talk about why we shouldn't feel guilty...
But the real point is that the food we have is a gift, and we should do what we can to treat it as such.
This is even true for fast food, or other things that are "bad" for us. Not that I'm encouraging people to eat fast food. Just that if it's sitting in front of us as the meal we have chosen, then it's important to enjoy and appreciate what it is. It gives you the calories that you need to function. Many people worked hard to make something that is cheap, convenient and consistent. Perhaps it will even be tasty, and that's something to appreciate too.
It's good to make healthy choices. And it's good to take steps to alter your mindset so that healthy choices are a natural part of your life. But it's also so important to enjoy what you're eating.
If you're going to eat chocolate, cookies and ice cream anyway, do what you can to fully experience them and don't let guilt be part of the experience.
Haha - OK. I was supposed to talk about why we shouldn't feel guilty...
But the real point is that the food we have is a gift, and we should do what we can to treat it as such.
This is even true for fast food, or other things that are "bad" for us. Not that I'm encouraging people to eat fast food. Just that if it's sitting in front of us as the meal we have chosen, then it's important to enjoy and appreciate what it is. It gives you the calories that you need to function. Many people worked hard to make something that is cheap, convenient and consistent. Perhaps it will even be tasty, and that's something to appreciate too.
It's good to make healthy choices. And it's good to take steps to alter your mindset so that healthy choices are a natural part of your life. But it's also so important to enjoy what you're eating.
If you're going to eat chocolate, cookies and ice cream anyway, do what you can to fully experience them and don't let guilt be part of the experience.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Welcome!
In this blog, I hope to introduce an idea I've had for many years, but never really found the time to put down all my thoughts about it in an organized way. Well, a blog format is a nice way to share my thoughts in a disorganized way, so I'm glad it exists!
My idea, which I call the "gratitude diet", is basically a kind of mindfulness practice which is intended to incorporate gratitude for the food we eat. I believe this ultimately leads to a better relationship with food and healthier choices. The point isn't particularly to lose weight, though it helped me to do so.
Diets are typically associated with the ideas of deprivation, sacrifice. and most notably, guilt. Gratitude has the potential to turn that around. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, gratitude was the key to my success in improving my diet. This isn't to say that I'm "there" yet, or that I'm mindful at every meal. The progress for me was slow and not particularly steady. But it happened, and I hope to share my insights and maybe help someone else.
Mindfulness and gratitude for food are certainly not new concepts. What makes my idea unique is that it follows a daily plan that lasts at least a month. On the first day you allow yourself to eat JUST brown rice. As much as you want, but only that. The next day, you add beans or lentils (which is a meal that you could eat for the rest of your life and be perfectly well-nourished). The third day you allow yourself salt and spices. And so on. Each day allows a new food, and it's truly exciting when you get to eat something new. It re-frames the whole practice into something that you're getting every day rather than losing.
My idea, which I call the "gratitude diet", is basically a kind of mindfulness practice which is intended to incorporate gratitude for the food we eat. I believe this ultimately leads to a better relationship with food and healthier choices. The point isn't particularly to lose weight, though it helped me to do so.
Diets are typically associated with the ideas of deprivation, sacrifice. and most notably, guilt. Gratitude has the potential to turn that around. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, gratitude was the key to my success in improving my diet. This isn't to say that I'm "there" yet, or that I'm mindful at every meal. The progress for me was slow and not particularly steady. But it happened, and I hope to share my insights and maybe help someone else.
Mindfulness and gratitude for food are certainly not new concepts. What makes my idea unique is that it follows a daily plan that lasts at least a month. On the first day you allow yourself to eat JUST brown rice. As much as you want, but only that. The next day, you add beans or lentils (which is a meal that you could eat for the rest of your life and be perfectly well-nourished). The third day you allow yourself salt and spices. And so on. Each day allows a new food, and it's truly exciting when you get to eat something new. It re-frames the whole practice into something that you're getting every day rather than losing.
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