It’s Mind/Body Musings: Mindful Eating October 10, 2011

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

LOVE the Mandarin orange wedge up against the simple white backdrop!

So I’m probably the last person on the planet to be recommending a book about “mindful eating” since I suck up my food as quickly and violently as a high power vacuum cleaner, but there’s something that draws me to a slower and richer approach to eating.  To really relish the flavors and to incorporate a real sense of gratitude into my eating habits!  (Well, into ANY of my habits, really!)  So I noticed one of my favorite Buddhist writers, Thich Nhat Hanh, has co-authored a book called Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.  It’s definitely on my “To Read” list.

Here’s a link to a video by the co-author, Dr. Lilian Cheung:

My problem is that I only think of slowing down AFTER I’ve scoffed down the pasta and licked the sauce off the plate like a dog for good measure!  LOL.  Well, let me know if any of you have read it or if you have any tips for this hopelessly MINDLESS eater…

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

Welcome to Mind/Body Musings. This is a regular 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.