HOW do you EAT ?

[3DStudent]

My brother and I would open a box of cereal and keep adding milk to the bowl till the box was empty. In one sitting.

I used to do that, and have done so recently with rice puffs. I really like my cereal, hehe ;). It's really not a lot it seems, especially if it's one of the smaller boxes.

 

[Acaja]

Thanks for the quotes Oxajil and Heimdallr. As we can see they both contradict each other and, before debating on this I'd be curious to hear your proper opinion about the subject ?

 

[shellycheval]

I have a little prayer that I made up several years ago that has helped me be more mindful of eating and my food. I have modified it slightly since I have become a member of the FOTCM. It is the kind of thing each can create to fit ones own needs. Here is mine--disregard or plagiarize at will ;)

Bless this food to my use
and I to the service of light and the Service of Others.
I am grateful for the sacrifice of all entities who made this meal possible.
Thank you __________ (ie: cow--fish--animal entree of the day).
Thank you plants, earth, and workers who brought this food to my table.
Divine Cosmic Mind Bless Us All.

(workers being the processors/killers--pickers, packers, sorters, farm workers, fishermen, truck drivers, stock persons, cashiers, etc.)

shellycheval

 

[3DStudent]

I wanted to comment on the excerpt from G and just remembered. Now, I highly respect G and his work, but I don't know if the part about not chewing food should be advised. Maybe that guy he was with didn't really know about saliva and things. There also probably wasn't as much scientific evidence in areas like bacteria growing from undigested food.

I have in the past scarfed food down, but I knew it wasn't the best way to do it. I kind of see the point that maybe it will keep your digestive system exercised for when you get older. But isn't there a point where it just cannot work any harder?

What have ya'll thought about this specific part of the excerpt?

 

[vinny]

I wanted to comment on the excerpt from G and just remembered. Now, I highly respect G and his work, but I don't know if the part about not chewing food should be advised. Maybe that guy he was with didn't really know about saliva and things. There also probably wasn't as much scientific evidence in areas like bacteria growing from undigested food.

I have in the past scarfed food down, but I knew it wasn't the best way to do it. I kind of see the point that maybe it will keep your digestive system exercised for when you get older. But isn't there a point where it just cannot work any harder?

What have ya'll thought about this specific part of the excerpt?

I think it's a great little allegory (rather than being particularly about eating). Firstly, it can be about how we learn something, and later learn the opposite. How a new piece of data can completely alter one's perspective. And we commonly need to "unlearn what we have learned", as Yoda would put it.

And also the whole thing, with the two (opposite extreme) methods of eating can be thought of as methods of life in general. Do we pre-plan and pre-organise everything down to a tight, deterministic, safe, pigeon-holed, constricted existence, OR do we grab life a random lump at a time, making new opportunities from whatever is thrown at us, growing in the process, and risk choking on some of the bigger pieces, but at least having the 'world as our oyster'?

 

[judyanderson12]

The whole chewing question seems to me to be similar to George Carlin's old monologue about germs -- you know, he grew up swimming in the Hudson Bay so his body KNEW how to deal with germs. I think our attitude in what we're doing is, again, vital to its success. How relaxed about our methods -- are we just doing them out of fear that if we don't, we'll suffer? I have seen lots of people who are obsessive about exercise but it seems to be fear driven -- kind of like "being saved" so you won't burn in hell.

 

[3DStudent]

Hi Nomad, I was thinking strictly in a physical sense and forgot to think about it allegorically/metaphorically. So I see now that it was about what happened between the two and not so much the eating itself. And about the two extremes as related to life. Thanks for the alternate interpretation.

 

[jhonny]

This has been very noticeable in my self observation, I ate very quickly and I remember my mother said me: eat slowly that no one came to remove the food, but still a bit fast but this is becoming a habit and Seff observation only makes you realize what you're doing.
I think this is the most important, yourself Realize what you do and the effect it has on your body.

 

[Bluestar]

Food has been such a social thing for me for many years. It was a center of activity filled with joy. The preparation, the sitting down to eat it with appreciation to all involved and then the clean up. When my husband and I first got together, I continued my food practices and would create what I considered elaborate meals. Then for him to sit down to eat it and pour "Tiger Sauce" (an Asian sauce purchased at the market) on it before he even tasted it. At first my ego was bruised. Then from slow observation, it really did not matter so much. It became just a need instead of a desire. When around friends and family it may turn into an event, but now it does not mean as much to me.

Since working on the detox diet and ping ponging back and forth with am I on this diet or not, found eating has become a bit cumbersome. Deciding on what needs to be consumed, to chew fully and be aware of what I am eating is enough of a focus. The mood I am in decides what to eat, there does not seem to be any more excitement in the process. It is just for survival and if I could do with out, believe I would.

Thinking about where the food comes from is so important for me. Gratitude to all involved. Is it healthy? Has it been tanted in any way? And how does this food make me feel after I eat it? Also thoughts of mistrust come into the picture, is this really organic or free range? So working on not allowing it to be a compulsive disorder. And why it has become cumbersome for me.

 

[Juba]

Excellent thread, it actually shocked me after recognizing to my self that:

Before detox:

1. I often eat while running or walking
2. I always eat fast except when on some fancy: brunch, lunch or dinner
3. I newer had breakfast and often I missed lunch

Now:

Eating normally and healthy although I noticed that sometimes I speed up with eating, AGAIN but my husband slow me down.

 

[mabar]

Eating is a completely different experience when you are actually paying attention to what effect it will have on your body.

I began to eat better (more vegetables –I just did not like them, mostly of them) after my blood pressure just dropped and that caused me a some sort of trauma that I worsened it going in the wrong direction –so to speak-. It was not just the eating, it was also stress on work and other things, but it did something else besides of the trauma, I began into changing eating habits … ones for others.

Deciding on what needs to be consumed, to chew fully and be aware of what I am eating is enough of a focus.

I am in another job, and since last 1 year and a half, I pay attention on to what I need to eat in other to function well, it had worked, these 3 years have been very difficult dealing with family business along with family problems and all around the self, the work, I also change city residence, and had change dreastically my status quo (leaving in Mexico City it is quite stressfull but I think I am getting use to) etc…I am also practicing the EEBP and it had been very usefull too.

Now that I think of it, I I need to be more creative in preparing meals, most of the times I prepare my dinner to take it next day to job, this way had helped me into eat more nutricious and it has help me also to my budget. The meals I made are quite simple, the simpler the better to my time and to my health –or so I belive. For today I am eating fisht, vegetables and brown rice all just broiled.

But like now, I am eating and writting this post at the same time, because it is in my dinner time that I am able to ge into the Internet. And this happends around 4 times a week, being 6 days in the working week.

For the 3 meals I eat in the day it need to be nutritious avoiding foods containing MSG, sinthetic flavors, sinthetic vitamins, prefering better oils like olive. Most of the time I see the ingredients list, and most of the time I just dont buy the food in question, and sometimes I allow my self to buy it or eat it because I wont do it every day, like jam, penut butter, american cheese, etc…

But I also like junk food, like candies, snacks, ice cream, pizza, etc…in trying to avoid them I eat the more nutricious similar to them, that is, if I am craving for a snicker (I really like them) a week I do eat it, the next week it is the “oaxacan chocolate” its ingredients are: cocoa, sugar and cinnamon. I want a candy I change for amaranth snack bar.

I had discovered that my taste has been changing also, somehow I recognized the sinthetical taste on the food, and I dont like it. Also I am discovering the “real” taste of the vegetables, not adding them anything even salt.

I know sugar had to be eliminated from the list, and I think my programms prevent me in doing it, it is kind of a struggle, I manage to buy it but I do not use it on the meals, I use it just to cook bakery, but many industrial food has it, to me it is easier eliminating one by one and I belive my body also would help me to live without it.

mabar

 

[theos]

I also need to be mindful of not wolfing down my food and chewing very thoroughly. I think it may be a holdover from my more gluttonous days when I felt myself thinking every now and then that I'd better hurry up and eat all I can before I get the signal that I'm full and have to stop. I still need to slow down when eating more healthy food. Another thing that may contribute to this is not eating enough during the day. I work on the road and don't like to stop for lunch so I can finish faster so I usually bring water, an assortment of nuts and an apple. This usually keeps me from feeling hungry until about 3pm. Most days I eat dinner by 6pm.

I'm about to start a candida cleanse so I'm holding off on the fruit for a while.

If I find myself wanting some junk food reading the list of ingredients usually puts me off. Unfortunately, there isn't an ingredients list at the Thai restaurant down the street from me. But I will persist.

 

[daco]

When I eat I try to eat meal in silence,just to be me and meal and trying to do this without any talk or thoughts but it is hard.
Interesting observation is that people dont eat at all they talk to each other and forget the meal,why people have urge to talk when they eating this is interesting one.
It is like they forget the meal and what they are eating.

Back on topic,I eat slowly not too fast,couple times a day,my diet isnt perfect (still young and health) but I trying to do change in diet and cut the bread and some other food.

 

[anart]

When I eat I try to eat meal in silence,just to be me and meal and trying to do this without any talk or thoughts but it is hard.
Interesting observation is that people dont eat at all they talk to each other and forget the meal,why people have urge to talk when they eating this is interesting one.
It is like they forget the meal and what they are eating.

I think most people talk as they eat because meal times are social bonding times, and quite significant as such.

 

[Stevie Argyl]

Reminds me of that classic risposte from Gurdjieff to someone mindlessly chattering whilst eating: 'What idiot God, only made one mouth should have made two!'