Finding Peace with Food

This is the level of zen and self-awareness I think I would like to reach with food.



I'm not yet there, but I am starting to be a bit more dynamic about what I eat, when I eat, how I eat, and how much I eat. I have been on both sides of what I see as a food spectrum- eating as much as I want whenever I went versus eating only at very specific times very specific food groups in very specific quantities. Currently, I am starting to understand that my hunger and what I desire to eat might be dependent on the seasons, the weather, my moods, and how much I am doing that day. Like, if I am hiking a bunch every single day, like I am right now, then, perhaps it is okay for me to eat two meals a day, instead of just one. And on the days where I'm not feeling like doing much and it's kind of dark and dreary, maybe not feeling as hungry and eating one meal a day is okay. And then, when I am outside doing manual labor for an entire day, like when I visited Paul and visited to interview for a summer internship in Washington, that it is perhaps okay to eat three meals a day. And trusting myself when I feel hungry and trusting my cravings (and also interpreting them) is difficult.

How do you approach food, hunger, and cravings?

What are your thoughts on the hunger scale (0=famished, 10=stuffed to the point of sickness)?

Dave Burton wrote: Currently, I am starting to understand that my hunger and what I desire to eat might be dependent on the seasons, the weather, my moods, and how much I am doing that day.

How do you approach food, hunger, and cravings?

As far as the last question, I still "cave to the crave" on more occasions than I would like.  But if I'm more mindful of the cycle of crave<->binge, I can actually use meditation a bit to reduce the craving as well as engage in slower, more mindful eating that ends up with reduced food intake.  Took a while for me to realize that I was eating faster than my system was able to tell me, through the feed-back loop, that I'd had plenty.  With slower eating, my system is able to turn off the craving sooner.

The first concept is also something I've noticed more later in life.....like not having so much a craving for eggs in the fall, but enjoying them in the spring when they are more plentiful.   Also really love popcorn,.....but only really crave it during the winter and stop eating it in late spring only to start up in late fall.  If we don't purchase shipped-in fresh greens all winter, the spring season effusion of young edible green growth is really anticipated and enjoyed.

John Weiland wrote:
Took a while for me to realize that I was eating faster than my system was able to tell me, through the feed-back loop, that I'd had plenty.  With slower eating, my system is able to turn off the craving sooner.

Eating slower is also helping me to appreciate and enjoy my meals more, too. Because I can savor the mouth feel, the texture, scents, and flavors of my food more, which is wonderful! I find that eating slower heightens the enjoyment and pleasure I get out of my food.