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…
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:
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.
I feel disgusting. I had a crazy stressful day at work yesterday and this morning. And even though I had a strawberry banana smoothie for breakfast and veggie burger with carrots and celery for lunch, by the end of the day I spiraled into the candy crazies. Digging into the candy jar of one of my co-workers started it. I tore open about 15 fun-sized candies (Smarties, Lemonheads, jelly beans, and Twizzlers) and then rushed to Stop & Shop for honey barbeque potato chips and some “health food” version of Fruit Loops (like it’s REALLY healthy!). Got home, crashed on the couch for an hour of toggling between Dr. Oz/Ellen/Judge Judy and two bowls of the mock Fruit Loops with soy milk and half a bag of chips. I feel disgusting. My stomach is popping out and I’m sluggish. Even though I didn’t fall off the wagon with the Vegan Kickstart (I think I’m on day 17) I might as well have with all the crap I put into my body today.
R.J. de Rossi
Chantal
Dos Veganos 
