Practicing beforehand

The idea for this blog stems from a very specific practice of denying (most) food and then adding it back slowly as a way of stimulating feelings of gratitude for food and a sense of newness about things that seem fairly mundane (like potatoes).

Before doing it though, it might be a good idea to practice in small ways by slowing down while eating, trying to build awareness of your surroundings and the experience in general. This is especially helpful for foods you find more pleasurable, because it will enhance your enjoyment of them (and hey, if it's something unhealthy and you're eating it anyway, you might as well maximize that good experience!)

It's also good to try building awareness of when you're not enjoying something as much as you thought you would and to let yourself stop.

Day 19: Chicken/Other poultry

This diet doesn't actually have to include any meat, but assuming that you started with eating meat and that you plan to return, it makes sense to add them one at a time.

Another thing to note is that on a day which "allows" a certain food, you're not actually required to eat it on that day. It could still be useful to think about it with thankfulness.

As with fish, the chicken you eat required that another being would die for this nourishment. Even if you've decided that this is ethically OK, it's still worthwhile to foster a sense of gratitude for it.

For the first time eating chicken, I suggest having it very plain, maybe with just a little salt and pepper. While eating it, try to visualize the way it nourishes you. It's particularly high in protein and iron.

On later days, try eating it other ways - roasted, with hot sauce or tomato sauce, etc. Maybe even try something new, like liver (which is extremely nutritious).

(Other poultry might include duck or goose.)

Day 18: Pasta

Noodles are technically distinct from pasta, but noodles are part of this too. :)

It will be nice to have some spaghetti or penne or just plain noodles with a little oil and garlic, or some tomato sauce.

This day also includes other items made with wheat, whatever they may be.

Not sure what more to say about this, except that it will open up a lot more options for meals.

Digestion

We take our digestion for granted in the same way that we take our heartbeats or our breathing for granted.

This Radio Lab podcast is great on this subject (though kind-of a diversion): http://www.radiolab.org/story/197243-gutless/

Digestion is regarded as kind-of gross, especially the farther along the process you go. Perhaps the feeling stems from a discomfort with our animal natures, or a primal drive to disassociate from our waste products. In any case, it doesn't have the "sacred" feel that breathing, or even bleeding, has. Focusing our mind's awareness in this area is a humbling act.

It's worth doing it anyway, to say thank you to our body for its ability to take in the food that we eat and convert it to the energy we need.

After eating, get into a comfortable position for 3-5 minutes and focus on what's happening inside you. No worries if you don't know 100% the scientific facts about it, you probably know enough to visualize and appreciate what your body is doing. Imagine the food that you're eating giving you what your body needs. Picture the chemistry at play, your body's cells knowing just what to do with what you've given to it.

Thank your body, your awareness of your body, and your ability to eat and be satisfied.

Presentation

Presentation can make a difference in how much we enjoy eating something, and in turn, enhance our gratitude for it.

We have little fancy ice cream bowls, and it's funny how much nicer the treat is (and how "less is more" really applies) when we use them.

Even putting chips or other "junk" food in a small bowl can make them seem more special, and helps us to pay attention more while we're eating. It creates a barrier, or a restriction on us, to have to take the time to make the food presentable. Finding a nice dish, placing the food in an appetizing way, and then cleaning up after are all things we wouldn't have to do if we just grabbed a bag out of a cabinet and started munching.

But rather than see that barrier as a burden, look at is as a way to enhance the pleasure from the food, the same way adding seasoning to it would be. This is yet another way that thinking of pleasure as a good thing can increase gratitude and a healthier approach toward food.

Finding deeper enjoyment with less

In the book "Ramona the Pest", Ramona takes just one bite out of lots of different apples because "The first bite always tastes the best".

That statement at face value is true: Any bite beyond the first is subject to the effects of diminishing marginal utility. The scene in the story is funny because of Ramona's attempt to have it both ways - experiencing that first bite, yet not having to stop experiencing it.

The good news though is that there are many ways to genuinely experience "first bites" in our lives, without being greedy and foolish like Ramona. It has to do with the way we frame things and pay attention.

I say this (again) as someone who doesn't always get this right in practice, not as someone speaking from on high. What I want to share is that sometimes I do get it right, and how that works. Sometimes I'm able to enjoy a small piece of chocolate, yet recognize that continuing to eat more will not bring me the same enjoyment again. I'm able to acknowledge that there may be more ice cream, or cake, (or apples?) available, but that I don't need to eat them. There can be pleasure in simply remembering, smelling the scent, or even watching others enjoy the nice thing. There's pleasure in (non-anxious) anticipation too.

Creating a limitation of some sort (waiting for another day, saving for special occasions) allows that "first bite" opportunity to reappear. Also, really paying attention to the first bite(s) makes a difference. Mindless eating is both unhealthy and not particularly pleasurable. But pleasure is important! Pleasure is so important, in fact, that it's well worth thinking deeply about how to maximize it.

In all of this, I'm aware that some kinds of food are addictive (sugar...) and that for some people it's easier and more effective to cut all of it out from their diets to avoid falling back into destructive patterns. Given this, I'm not really sure what to say about how all of this really works. I only know what works for me, and the reasonable likelihood that it could help others too. That it could be extended, as a philosophy, well beyond eating habits.

Day 17: Yogurt

Yogurt is the first dairy product I'm including. It's cool and creamy and a little tangy. Without sugar, it has a sour taste that's not altogether unpleasant. One thing to try is to simply experience that sourness. This isn't to say that fruit or honey aren't nice complements to yogurt generally, but that it's worth training oneself to interact with foods very directly and fully, especially ones that aren't fried, sweet, or salty.

When eating it, think about the history of this food, and the ingenuity of human beings in figuring out how to prepare it. Think also about what kind of nutrients it gives to you. Calcium for bones, protein for building your body, fat (in the case of full-fat or partial-fat yogurt) that provides energy and fullness. It also can provide beneficial bacteria, depending on what type of yogurt you're eating.

Think also about the cows that made the milk for this, and send out a thank you to them. This borders a bit on the political because by really thinking about the cows, it compels us to face the way they're treated in industrial farming. Possibly you thought of this, and had the resources (and access) to purchase yogurt that came from a (presumably) well-treated cow. Or possibly you didn't, with a hundred totally understandable reasons why.

The important thing is that this is NOT about guilt. Rather, it's about gentle "leaning" in the direction of gratitude and kindness. Most people agree that we should do better with our treatment of cows and other animals. So without a sense of condemnation or judgment, it's good to open our eyes and our hearts to this. Maybe it would be possible in your own life to eat a little less dairy and pay a premium for the more humane kind. At the very least, it would be good to err on the side of buying less rather than inadvertently wasting it. And when you do eat it, it's very important to truly, deeply enjoy it.