Mind/Body Monday: Spiritual Surrender and Food Addiction October 3, 2011

Welcome to Mind/Body Monday. This is a regular weekly feature here at Dos Veganos where we will explore different aspects of the mind/body connection.

A Course in Weight Loss by Marianne Williamson

“Intellectually understanding your body, your mind-body connection, the physiology of exercise, or the realities of food metabolism mean little if you are addicted.  In the words of Sigmund Freud, “Intelligence will be used in the service of neurosis.” No matter how smart you are, or how much “work you’ve done on yourself,” you alone cannot outsmart the psychic force of compulsion and addiction. If you could, you would have done so by now. For this problem, entrenched and pernicious as it is, you need spiritual forces to help you. For this, you need God…So ask yourself this question: Are you willing, if even for a moment, to consider the possibility that God can outwit your insanity?”

-from the Introduction to A Course in Weight Loss

I’m a big fan of Marianne Williamson.  A where-the-rubber-meets-the-road spiritual writer whose focus is in making abstract spirituality deeply practical.  Her book, A Course in Weight Loss, was an “Oprah’s Favorite Things” pick last year and actually started out as a series of emails from Marianne to Oprah to support her struggle with weight loss.  For those of you interested in the intersection between your spiritual practice and weight loss, check out this summary of Chapter 8, Surrender to the Divine:

If this quote and video spoke to you then check out her book A Course in Weight Loss.  It could be a valuable supplement in your health and weight loss goals.

Mind/Body Musings: Meditation, Stress and Eating October 1, 2011

Slightly off the vegan topic but equally valuable…Every now and then I’ll be posting about the relationship between the mind and body and how it relates to our health and eating habits.

I’m a huge advocate of natural methods for change, be it psychological or physical.  Part of my passion for striving to stay on this path comes from working at a residential school for children labeled as emotionally disturbed.  Everyday I see kids used as “guinea pigs” by the therapeutic/pharmacutical mainstream to address psychological challenges (most commonly for a diagnosis such as ADHD).  While I know there are cases where medication can be very helpful in treating psychological and physical conditions, I also know that in way too many cases it’s unnecessary.  A common joke in my “therapeutic” environment when someone does a bone-headed or dingy thing is to ask, “Did you take your meds today?”  Recently I’ve adopted that statement with a twist: Did you take your MEDS (Meditation, Exercise, Diet, Supplements) today?

Many people reading this may feel the same way so it could be a case of preaching to the choir.  We struggle to eat naturally, organically, “veganly” in order to obtain optimal mental, emotional, and physical health.  Well, I came across this segment from the Dr. Oz show that boggled my mind.  It’s about the connection between meditation and weight loss.  As a meditator, I found it fascinating.  Here are the URLs to clips from his show featuring Deepak Chopra, MD:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/meditate-lose-weight-pt-1

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/meditate-lose-weight-pt-2

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/meditate-lose-weight-pt-3

You’ll have to copy and paste the addresses since it’s not allowing me to create a link.  (Or maybe I’m doing something wrong!)

And for anyone with an interest in learning more about meditation I found a great website that offers an at home learning course that derives its method from one of the most scientifically validated forms of meditation, Transcendental Meditation.  TM is a popular, secretive, and EXPENSIVE (roughly $2,000) method that is very effective for many different psychological and physical ailments, from ADHD to smoking cessation to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  It’s mantra-based and VERY effective.  Click here for some info on the connection between stress, TM and obesity.  Or check out this video for a brief intro to some of the overall benefits of meditation:

For an equally effective and more affordable form of mantra-based meditation, check out  Natural Stress Relief.  NSR was founded by a scientist from Italy who was also a former TM instructor.  He decided to simplify the technique minus the high cost (roughly 30 bucks!) and mystery.  I’ve been practicing meditation (NSR) as a regular part of my daily routine since 2004 and I can say without doubt that it’s added immeasurably to my life.

So, “Have you had your MEDS today?”