In a study of 1,848 adults conducted by the American Psychological Association, during one month nearly half of all respondents (943 percent) overate or ate unhealthy foods, and more than one-third (36 percent) skipped a meal because of stress.
I don't know the exact reasons, but in times of frustration and difficulty, we often think eating will help the situation. Can't figure out a coding issue on a Web site glitch... report not coming together... manager angry at us for making a mistake... if we just eat, the issue will be solved. Of course, eating a healthy meal my be beneficial in such moments, but when our eating arises from frustration or compulsion, it rarely helps and ,often hinders, the situation. In fact, eating is probably one of the most difficult areas with which to bring consciousness.
Most of us know quite well how to eat unconsciously: eat as fast as you can, doing as many other things as you can, in as noisy and hectic an environment as you can find. That's easy. In this daily practice, we do just the opposite: we eat slowly, don't do other things at that time, and eat the most peaceful environment we can find.
If we pay attention, our relationship to eating is often less about nourishing our body or how the food tastes and more about satisfying our desire system. You may notice that even before you have chewed and swallowed one mouthful, you already crave the next bite: even though the desired next amount is exactly the same as the one in your mouth.. I notice this with my favorite snack, cashews. As soon as i put three of them in my mouth, I start craving the next three I see in the bowl, even though i have yet to enjoy the ones in my mouth. Oddly, i want what i already have!! In such times, what we crave is not the food, but the satisfaction of getting what we want, of having our desires filled. Ironically, however, our desire is rarely filled because the moment of satisfaction is so fleeting. It exists only at the time when our desire for food is satiated by putting it in our mouth. That's it. Once it is there and before we have chewed and tasted it, the desire for more arises.
Here is my take on it. I am a very health conscious person. And i religiously swim and go to gym every weekday. Plus whenever i am about to eat, i choose the meal very consciously not only by ingredients but also the amount. For example, i won't drink a large amount of water within 30 minutes of every meal. My counter force is quite clear, if you have spent more than one hour a day work out, there is no reason, you cannot control your meal consciously. Guess what, whenever i have that counter force, the only strong enemy to me is not the food i like but the desire to eat that food unconsciously.
People, says, you are not happy because you don't eat the food you want to eat because of your one hour pain you sacrifice in your work out routine. So what's the point of having double pain?
Here is the answer. If you follow my Wisdom 2.0 Highlights closely , there are 2 pains, the one which is familiar and used to us , in this case, not doing work out and not eating consciously , meaning , eating whatever you like, to me it is really a double pain. The other way is getting out of comfort zone, doing work out and eating consciously, less pain i presume , compared to the former one.
Again, the end of this duality is to bring consciousness to the act, in this case, eating consciously.
We pay attention not only before eating, but also while eating and after eating. Any kind of counter forces will arise but make sure to register them and do not force to deny them because they are bad or good, forget all your judgmental conflicts and enjoy the moment.
Here is to fuel your thought. Remember, Buddhist way is the middle way. Let me ask you how do you know it is middle. Quite obvious right? You need to know two extreme ends first , then you know the middle. Well here it is. You already have your two extremes in this story. All you have to do is find the middle way.
I don't know the exact reasons, but in times of frustration and difficulty, we often think eating will help the situation. Can't figure out a coding issue on a Web site glitch... report not coming together... manager angry at us for making a mistake... if we just eat, the issue will be solved. Of course, eating a healthy meal my be beneficial in such moments, but when our eating arises from frustration or compulsion, it rarely helps and ,often hinders, the situation. In fact, eating is probably one of the most difficult areas with which to bring consciousness.
Most of us know quite well how to eat unconsciously: eat as fast as you can, doing as many other things as you can, in as noisy and hectic an environment as you can find. That's easy. In this daily practice, we do just the opposite: we eat slowly, don't do other things at that time, and eat the most peaceful environment we can find.
If we pay attention, our relationship to eating is often less about nourishing our body or how the food tastes and more about satisfying our desire system. You may notice that even before you have chewed and swallowed one mouthful, you already crave the next bite: even though the desired next amount is exactly the same as the one in your mouth.. I notice this with my favorite snack, cashews. As soon as i put three of them in my mouth, I start craving the next three I see in the bowl, even though i have yet to enjoy the ones in my mouth. Oddly, i want what i already have!! In such times, what we crave is not the food, but the satisfaction of getting what we want, of having our desires filled. Ironically, however, our desire is rarely filled because the moment of satisfaction is so fleeting. It exists only at the time when our desire for food is satiated by putting it in our mouth. That's it. Once it is there and before we have chewed and tasted it, the desire for more arises.
Here is my take on it. I am a very health conscious person. And i religiously swim and go to gym every weekday. Plus whenever i am about to eat, i choose the meal very consciously not only by ingredients but also the amount. For example, i won't drink a large amount of water within 30 minutes of every meal. My counter force is quite clear, if you have spent more than one hour a day work out, there is no reason, you cannot control your meal consciously. Guess what, whenever i have that counter force, the only strong enemy to me is not the food i like but the desire to eat that food unconsciously.
People, says, you are not happy because you don't eat the food you want to eat because of your one hour pain you sacrifice in your work out routine. So what's the point of having double pain?
Here is the answer. If you follow my Wisdom 2.0 Highlights closely , there are 2 pains, the one which is familiar and used to us , in this case, not doing work out and not eating consciously , meaning , eating whatever you like, to me it is really a double pain. The other way is getting out of comfort zone, doing work out and eating consciously, less pain i presume , compared to the former one.
Again, the end of this duality is to bring consciousness to the act, in this case, eating consciously.
We pay attention not only before eating, but also while eating and after eating. Any kind of counter forces will arise but make sure to register them and do not force to deny them because they are bad or good, forget all your judgmental conflicts and enjoy the moment.
Here is to fuel your thought. Remember, Buddhist way is the middle way. Let me ask you how do you know it is middle. Quite obvious right? You need to know two extreme ends first , then you know the middle. Well here it is. You already have your two extremes in this story. All you have to do is find the middle way.
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