Do over!
My week of mindful eating went a little awry. So, resorting to a well-known childhood protocol, I’m calling for a ‘do over.’
I’ve spent the last several weeks implementing a weekly activity from the book “How to Train a Wild Elephant.” It’s all a part of the practice to live more mindful. A life lived in mindfulness and mediation helps reduce stress and get more out of life. I’ve had mixed results in the different activities. The only one I truly excel at is ‘leave no trace.‘ My office -or more accurately the office I work out of- continues to be immaculate and ready for any occupant.
Eating mindfully has been challenging. It’s because I’ve trained myself not to focus on food. As an overweight gal, food has been an obsession for me for the majority of my life. (I wrote a recent guest blog post forGanesha Yoga that talked about it). Unlike any other addiction, it’s impossible to stop eating. Food is a requirement for life. To adjust, I’ve tried to detach myself from the ‘thrill of eating.‘ I try to manage the excitement that I previously associated with eating. The practice, along with gastric bypass, has helped me feel in control. I no longer expect food to satisfy an emotional need… I’ve got wine for that.
I have grown increasingly aware of my heavier wine consumption. In social gatherings, I spend less time choosing my food than pouring my wine. My drinking is rooted in a variety of reasons. One, I love the taste. Two, I like the way it relaxes me. Three, I rarely have the hangover repercussion. Four, why the hell not?
Well, there are a lot reasons ‘not‘ to indulge. I’m grappling with all off them. The biggest reason is its counter-productive to the balance I seek in my life. I need to balance my food and wine consumption. I should savor the tastes of both but not suffocate myself in either of their essences.
Do over!
Again, I’m going to sit and eat with utensils. This first picture is a Vega-One bar from last week. I like these green-vegetable-packed bars over smoothies in the winter. I ate it with a fork and knife to be more mindful. This second picture is this morning’s meal: scrambled eggs, an english muffin, and coffee. The ingredients were all organic. I prepared and ate my breakfast. This is the methodology I’m incorporating into this week’s ‘do over‘ activity. I’m also including a mindful focus on wine consumption.