Happy Spring!
We all love the sound of birds chirping, the sight of flowers blooming, the smell of salty sea air at the beach, and the feel of our bathing suits skimming over our slender, toned bodies as we wade in the surf...well, um, maybe the first three, right?
Yes, for me March is always the month to awaken both my inner gardener and my panic stricken "it's going to be pool/beach time soon" weight watcher. Right now I have two strikes going against me: one, my mid-life hormonal shift in full swing and second, my Russian heritage genetic tummy propensity. What the?
A long time ago, my great, great, great grandmothers who had to rough it out in sub-zero Ukrainian winters were HAPPY to have a few extra pounds to help ease the seasonal lack of food. They worked hard on their farms in the spring and summer, but ate like horses in the fall so that they would have enough "storage" to survive the harsh icy spells. Of course, we all know that I am not living in Russia, or on a farm, and food is never scarce (fortunately) in this neck of the woods.
Hence, the problem. America is the land of plenty...and the land of gargantuan portions that are unhealthy and fattening. Did you know that McDonald's is going to have a special this summer: buy any size soda for $1. Righty-o, if your heart desires, you can get a humongous sugary soda for only a buck. Such a deal! But, the cost is what calories you pay in sugar and other additives.
There are a billion books on diets out there so I will not say "eat this, don't eat that." Naturally, our bodies want us to eat as healthy a diet as possible -- whole foods, not too much sugar, smaller portions. This hearkens back to one of my previous posts on moderation, too. Currently, I am reading a book by the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, called "Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life." I haven't finished it yet, but I read something last night I wanted to share with you wonderful people out there.
I can only speak for myself when I say that often I will eat "just because" the food looks good, is there in front of me, for social reasons...etc, etc, etc. This book is all about making conscious decisions about food and taking the time to feel your body's hunger and satiety clues. One tidbit of advice he gives: breathe.
Just breathe. I will quote from the book: "The essence of mindfulness is to come back to dwell in the present moment and observe what is happening. When body and mind are one, the wounds in our hearts, minds, and bodies begin to heal. Then we can truly begin to transform our weight issues." Breath is the ticket to self-awareness and transformation. Lovely idea, right? But does Hanh have kids to take care of, housework to do, an overabundance of female hormones, or a nine-to-five job? I should say not. However, I do believe he is right.
We do need to slow down. Take a deep breath and appreciate what we are doing with our time, with our hands, with our eating habits. I have started replacing most refined foods for whole grains, for instance, and weening (slowly) my sweet tooth cravings with a bit of dark chocolate. Here is a meditation Hanh suggests when we want to feel "in touch" with our bodies:
"Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I calm my body."
The breath is the key to mindfulness. It is important to stop for a few moments and center ourselves before we make decisions we might regret later. Slowing down. Not rushing our food...or our lives, for that matter. Not an easy thing to do nowadays, is it?
The other day I did an experiment at Starbucks. I ordered my usual: tall, decaf latte and then just sat down and drank the darn thing, sip by sip. As I did this, I watched other people come and go. The majority of people grabbed their drinks and quickly ran out the door as if they were trying to catch a plane. Everyone else sat down and drank their coffees and teas while reading a newspaper or working on their computer. No one else besides myself just sat there and drank their beverage. We are definitely a multi-tasking society, indeed!
I love one thing Hanh writes, "Following our breathing, we can collect our mind, body, and breath, and they will become one. We will feel warm and and soothed, like someone sitting indoors by the fire while the wind and rain are raging outside." Such a beautiful metaphor, to feel spiritually calm and safe and warm and fuzzy inside so we aren't influenced by "outside" distractions, disturbances and the usual stormy goings on of daily life.
I will be calm, I will just breathe...okay, now that I've done that, it's time to clean my house!
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