Your Healthy Relationship With Food

Meditation and Your Relationship With Food - 7 Reasons To Start Meditating Today

Posted by Jeffrey Harold on May 15th, 2009

If there’s one activity you need to start implementing your life, it’s meditation. All it requires you to do is be still and notice your breath, not needing to identify with the thoughts that you have anymore. Meditation has the power to heal many of the troubles we face on a daily basis including an unhealthy relationship with food.

And here are 7 reasons meditation can help you start healing that relationship in no time at all.

1. Slows You Down - Living your life in the fast lane is not the best remedy for changing the way you eat. Even when you’re not doing anything, you still feel like you should be rushing. Meditation is one of those activities that absolutely requires you to slow down. All it requires is you being present and learning to quiet your mind even for a little bit.

2. Creates Inner Peace - The need to eat emotionally or overdo it on sweet foods is usually a product of some sort of inner turmoil or boredom. When you learn to accept just being through meditation, you know that everything is ok. Meditation doesn’t need anything outside of it to be more effective - and it’s the same with you.

3. Strengthens The Mind - A big part of meditation is gently noticing thoughts and letting them go in their own direction. You don’t get caught up with them. When this happens, you start to realize you can use this skill in your daily life. Yes you might have a thought about wanting to eat a bag of chips. But your strong mind will question that thought to help you decide better.

4. Refreshes Your Body - All the rushing around you do takes a toll on your body. Slowing down enough to witness your thoughts helps your body function better. When you release the stress that results from your incessant thoughts, your body will thank you by treating you better. When your body feels good, you want to help it more by feeding it the right foods.

5. Challenges You - Yes, it is a challenge to make time every day for meditating. Of all the activities you could do, meditation doesn’t always seem the most glamorous after all. However, if you challenge yourself to do it, you realize you’re capable of so much - including changing the way you eat.

6. Helps You Grow - I’ve learned from first hand experience that that unhealthy eating is a habit that needs to be fixed. But this fix is more than just the food you eat, it’s a personal shift that changes the way you look at the world. Meditation is the same way. It’s a personal shift and discipline that gets you more in touch with your most authentic self.

7. Shows You The Present Moment - To escape mindless eating, you need to be much more conscious of the food you’re eating at any given moment. Meditation is a discipline that helps you escape the thought patterns and enter into peace with what is happening right here, right now. When you learn this and apply it to your relationship with food, you start creating space for all the nutrition information you’ve read in the past.

I’d love to hear your comments on this post. What’s your current relationship with food? How much is meditation a part of your life? Let’s get the conversation going.

Also, if you want to revitalize the way you eat and begin a healthy relationship with food, I invite you to download your FREE report - The 10 Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Relationship With Food. It’s your first step towards a healthy, life changing, and mindful relationship with food that will change the way you eat forever.

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Spiritual Eating Tips - Do You Need to Give Up Sweets Forever to Change the Way You Eat?

Posted by Jeffrey Harold on May 14th, 2009

photo credit: wockerjabby

When it comes to food, we often develop the unhealthy thought that we must give certain types of food up. Not only is this a bleak way of looking at your relationship with food, it’s also completely untrue. I’ve managed to lose and keep off forty plus pounds all without having to give up baked goods.That’s the good news.

But there are some things we should examine first.

Why are you attached to the sweets?

Many times when we turn to sweets, it’s because we’re looking for a sense of satisfaction from the outside world that we’re not getting inside. Be honest with yourself - what’s going on in your life? When I was going through the most difficult times in my life, I couldn’t stop baking. Cookies, cupcakes, and crisps just kept on popping out of the oven. It wasn’t until I asked myself why I was attached to them that I gained my control back.

It turns out, I was worried about financial problems and finding a career I enjoyed. The sweets were my safeguard against the real issue that I wasn’t ready to face.

Do you value other foods just as much?

One of the unhealthy behaviors we have is to value some foods more than others. While it’s great to enjoy sweets every once in a while, it’s also important to see the joy you can get in simple, clean foods like fruits and vegetables. When you eat more nutritious foods with just as much enjoyment as sweets, you can learn to value both equally. If you have to stop eating as many sweets as you do now, you’ll be fine when you realize there’s enjoyment in all foods.

One of the biggest changes for me was when I began to see something simple as a green apple to be just as valuable as one of my famous cupcakes. Our fear of giving up certain foods stems from the worry that there will be nothing to save us when we’re down.

So many times I want to write something like “You don’t have to give up the foods you love” but the truth is, we need to learn to love all foods. Just as we want to be seen as equals in others’ eyes, we need to do the same for food. Choose to find pleasure in all foods and you won’t have to give up the ones you’re currently afraid to let go of.

Let me know what your opinion is - do you really need to give up sweets? Would we really be badly off if we did stop eating them? Leave a comment and let’s get the conversation going.

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How To Enjoy The Longest Cup of Coffee Ever

Posted by Jeffrey Harold on May 8th, 2009

photo credit: CC Chapman

In general, I’m a tea guy. 10 months in China sampling some of the best teas of Fujian province will do that to you. But I don’t have much access to those teas anymore so I have switched to coffee in the meantime. For some reason though, I’m never able to finish a cup of it. Nor do I see the need to.

One of the reasons I prefer tea is that it implies slowness, skill, and peace. There’s no rushing a fine Chinese tea. In fact, I witnessed the art form of Gong Fu Tea many times while living in Xiamen. When we go for coffee, we’re not involved in making it. If you go to a tea house in China, you make the tea.

It’s not an inconvenience. It’s a skill that my friends were proud to show off. Plus, it’s a lot less noisy than a night in a Chinese karaoke palace (it’s the only way to describe the massive KTV bars in China) with those with, how shall I say, varying levels of singing ability.

We need to bring this skill to coffee. It’s time to appreciate the slow.

Finding Your Skill

The problem with many of our hobbies these days is that they’re relatively skill free. You can pick them up, get a quick laugh or rush, and then walk away. But we’ve lost our preference for the activities that prove to us that growth is possible.

But you can increase your coffee skill. It may be a simple notion but: Do It Yourself

Make a cup of coffee that is uniquely your own. Here’s the catch. You can’t put milk, cream, or sugar in it.

Milk, cream, and sugar are flavor killers. The more you put in, the more you’re ignoring the actual flavor of the coffee. Bitter does not equal bad. Bitter only means bitter. Taste needs to be judgment free.

Here’s the process for enjoying the longest cup of coffee ever.

1. Gather Your Ingredients

Besides your coffee beans, you also want to grab some other unexpected ingredients. Maybe melt down some dark chocolate. Grab some cinnamon. Cut up an orange. Find things you wouldn’t normally expect to go well with coffee and have them available anyway.

2. Prepare Your Coffee

Simple enough. Just make sure it’s at a comfortable temperature for you so you don’t burn your mouth.

3. Clear Your Mind

Before you even begin to drink, take 3 really deep breaths. If your chest isn’t rising, you’re not breathing deeply enough. Take the air in through your nostrils and let it exit your mouth. Relax your shoulders. Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (this will be familiar to you if you practice T’ai Chi)

4. Take One Mindful Sip

Now that your mind is clear, try to lose your words. You’re going to take one sip of the coffee without labeling it at all. Words aren’t appropriate here. Use this sip to feel how the coffee sits in your mouth, what it feels like against your tongue. Try to find where you feel the taste in your mouth. When you swallow, feel the warmth going down your throat.

5. Drink Without Adding Anything

Take a few more sips of the coffee. As much as possible, keep your mind clear of any thoughts. If they do come up, be the one observing them, not just the one having them. Bring your attention back to the sensation of coffee in your mouth as much as possible. Sit with the bitterness. It’s not as bad as you once thought.

6. Add Something Unexpected

Using your other ingredients, add something you wouldn’t normally add to coffee. Try a small squeeze of the orange, stir in a little bit of the chocolate, add a pinch of cinnamon, or even drizzle some honey into it. Pay attention to how even the littlest change makes a different in the taste. Again, move away from the need to label it good or bad. Find the actual flavor.

7. Flood Yourself With Gratitude

At this point, your coffee has probably lasted longer than any other cup of coffee you’ve had before. Just like you took the 3 breaths in the beginning, repeat them again now. Keep the thought of gratitude in your inhalation. Expel the need for speed and negative emotions on the exhalation. Let the gratitude reach the top of your head to the your toes. Pay attention to how this makes your body feel. You’ll love the experience.

Not only will this be your longest cup of coffee, you will have actually been present for it. Genuine taste should come first. If you think you don’t have time for meditation during the day, try this with your morning coffee. You’ll be tricking yourself into meditation each and every time.

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15 Ways To Get The Most Enjoyment From The Food You Eat

Posted by Jeffrey Harold on May 7th, 2009

photo credit: woordenaar

I didn’t always appreciate food. Sure, I loved the sweets and couldn’t get enough of nachos and chicken fingers but food, real wholesome, from the Earth food - not so much. I never saw the value in vegetables, the fun in fruit, or the simplicity of salad as being worthy of my attention.

But now things are different. Whether it was my time in China away from my ‘comfort foods’ or the many months where I had barely any money at all for food, I changed the way I looked at it forever.

Need to start changing the way you eat? More than any diet tips or fancy workouts, I suggest changing the way you eat. Find the enjoyment in all foods and make eating one of the enjoyable parts of your life. Can’t think of any ideas? Read on for some quick tips.

1. Go to the grocery store with no intention to buy anything

Whenever I need a quick boost, I walk to the grocery store near my house just to appreciate the big, bold, beautiful colors. There’s something about the reds and greens of the apples, the clever displays of asparagus that my grocery store has, and the crates filled with exotic fruit from all over the world. If you ever need proof of abundance, it’s right there.

2. Stroll through a farmer’s market

When I lived in Boston, one of my favorite things to do was walk through this small farmer’s market that would go up during the summers in the Brookline neighborhood. Not only do you get to see the food, you see the people who are connected to it. I love being around people who are passionate. Strike up a conversation. Ask questions. Buy something simple. You’ll see food in a new light.

3. Eat blindfolded

Get someone you trust to make a meal or snack for you. But don’t let your eyes do the eating. By putting on a blindfold, you’ll heighten your other senses, especially smell and taste. This is one of those ways you can tap into actual taste, not just perceived taste.

4. Slow down

Eating doesn’t have to be a race. Don’t let your future focused thinking get in the way of enjoying food right now. You’ll get that project done. You can reply to that email soon. But in that moment, your food deserves your attention.

5. Make a meal of tiny portions

The problem with our food portions today is not just the size - it’s the psychology behind it. If you’re faced with a giant portion, you have absolutely no incentive to enjoy it. So, create tiny versions of your favorite meals. When you know that your food will be gone soon, you’ll do whatever it takes to enjoy it with full gusto.

6. Watch your words

When you eat, please watch what you say. Our system of labels such as good, bad, cool, gross, and yummy do no justice to the food we eat. Find new words to describe the taste - don’t operate on judgment alone. Find the essence of the food you’re eating.

7. Do your own pairings

It seems like there’s so many rules about how to pair a wine and different meats, cheeses, and the like. Those are fun to follow but your intuition is an even better tool. Whether it’s wine or a bottle of sparkling water, create a deliberate pair and pay attention to how they work together. Some will be great and some will be magical. Trust yourself to find the magical.

8. Grow your own vegetables

This is something very new to me. Right now, I’m in the process of growing my own cucumbers. I never thought I had a green thumb but let me tell you, those cucumbers are ready to come out of their seeds. I’m excited to see what happens. Am I going to enjoy these cucumbers more than the ones in the store? You bet.

9. Pray

You don’t have to be religious to pray. All you need is to take a moment before you eat to say thanks for the food you’ve been given. If you’re going to make it routine, don’t do it all. Be genuine. Imagine any days you’ve struggled to have any food at all. Keep those in mind who don’t have any. Show gratitude.

10. Volunteer at a food bank

I know there’s tons of causes fighting for your attention right now. But if there’s one cause we all need to be focused on, it’s providing food for everyone. If you don’t have the time to volunteer, see if your grocery store has a program where you can buy a bag of groceries to donate. I’ve had too many times where I worried about where food was coming from to not do this now.

11. Spend 1 day (not Thanksgiving) cooking a meal

Do you ever find it strange that the big food companies are the ones marketing that cooking is such a bothersome task? They market it as if it’s the biggest waste of time. Look at cooking as investment. Make an ordinary meal special. Get everyone involved to cook if you can. Show your kids how to be invested in the food they eat.

12. Stop drinking soda

There’s only one specific time I let myself drink soda. And that’s only if I’m going to Zaftig’s in Brookline to get a hot corned beef on challah bread. I can’t imagine anything going better with it than a Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda. It reminds me of going to Jewish delis in my childhood. But a daily habit of soda is not something you chose. It was forced upon you by the soda companies. Be bigger than they are. Find the appreciation for water instead.

13. Make your dining table be a place you want to be.

For all the things you love to do, create a space that is special for it. Eating deserves the same attention. Flowers, a simple rock garden, little reminders of gratitude and hope - these can all make the eating experience more special. I know there’s a ton of distractions wanting to pull you away from eating. But you’ll enjoy your food more if you sit and be present with it.

14. Turn off the TV

Why do I want you to have a great dining table? Because I want you to stop eating in front of the TV. I can’t help it, it’s just one of those behaviors that we have come to accept (hello, TV dinners?) that we need to change. There is nothing wrong with sitting, cutting up your food, and just paying attention to what food tastes like. If you do this right, it will be one of the best parts of your day.

15. Practice food photography

I know that most of us want to travel - but it’s not always in our budget. But you can travel around where you live and take pictures of the food you see. Find the adventure where you live. Prepare something unique and photograph the experience. Create what I like to call a positive food experience. You could even make a scrapbook and journal about the adventure. It doesn’t only have to be cupcakes - find the beauty in cucumbers, turnips, and kale all the same.

Not only am I a little bit hungry after reading this, I’m excited that this is my real first post on the Eating In The Now Teacher blog. I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you in the future. I invite you to leave a comment so we can start a dialogue about changing the way we eat.

Also, if you want to revitalize the way you eat and begin a healthy relationship with food, I invite you to download your FREE report - The 10 Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Relationship With Food. Inside this report, you’ll find the traps you’re falling into each and every day that keep you from getting the body you desire.

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The Fat Burning Mindset - 5 Tips To Activate Your Healthiest Mind Yet

Posted by Jeffrey Harold on May 6th, 2009

Like any goal worth achieving, weight loss requires a specific mindset if you want to see results. I tried for years to get rid of the extra pounds that were haunting me until I realized I was looking at everything wrong. More than any exotic fruit, diet pill, or low carb diet, my mindset has made a lasting difference. The proof? I’m so comfortable in my relationship with food that I know I’ll never need to diet for the rest of my life.

Are you wanting success in the long term? Then I suggest you adapt the following principles to your weight loss goals.

Have Patience

I’ve been told many times that no one cares about their relationship with food. They’re only looking for quick fixes. Whoever says that to me, I tell them to just wait, they’ll eventually realize the truth. Quick fixes lead to quick failures. But with the proper mindset of being patient with food and what it does for you, you get to see that the results you wait for are the ones that stick. Patience means forgetting quick fixes. Instead, you become comfortable with the present moment and stop worrying about when the pounds will drop.

Practice Acceptance

Fighting your present situation will do nothing but bring you down and keep you away from your goal. If you’re wanting to lose weight because you’re looking at your body and hate what you see, you’re going to get more of the same. But if you can accept yourself as you are, you start to see a new approach to eating is a gift to yourself. Dieting brings up feelings of self hatred and lack. Since when has the mindset ever given anybody positive enduring results?

Be Open Minded

Accomplishing your goals gets tougher as you get older since you become too comfortable in your present ways. If you want to lose weight but keep all your current habits and thought patterns, you’re not going to get very far. But if you’re willing to change, you create a new reality for yourself. Consequently, that new reality holds the ticket for you to change the way you eat and look at food. Do this and weight loss will be the happy byproduct.

Be Enthusiastic

I can’t stand the commercials that show dieters struggling. The image they create reflects people who have no enthusiasm and appreciation for the food that gives them life. When I started to enjoy and appreciate the foods people said I should eat, changes were immediate. You have to feel good about what you’re doing. You’re going to be stuck in the diet cycle forever unless you can learn to have gratitude for simple, clean, healthy foods.

Have Faith

How many times a day do you step on the scale? If you do it at all, you’ve lost your faith in food. The truth for me and the majority of other healthy eaters is that we don’t need a scale to tell us if we’re at a healthy weight or not. We feel it in our clothes and when we walk. Watching a number on a scale means you just don’t believe something positive is going to happen. You need to detach from the results if you actually want to see them.

The truth of the matter? The issue isn’t what the right quick fix for you is, it’s if you have the right mindset that creates a healthy, life changing relationship with food.

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Holistic Weight Loss Advice - 7 Secrets To Help You Develop A Healthy Relationship With Food

Posted by Jeffrey Harold on May 4th, 2009

Tell me about your relationship with food and I’ll tell you if you’re ever going to shed those extra pounds. The simple truth is, those who are able to lose and keep off weight in a healthy manner have developed a positive, giving relationship with food.

Don’t have one yet? Here are 7 secrets to help you find yours.

1. Acknowledge Your Relationship With Food - Whether you realize it or not, you are connected to food on behavioral, emotional, and spiritual levels. The old way of seeing food as what you eat to stop hunger is not serving you anymore.

By realizing the complexity of how you relate to food, you start to see that it has been the source of your weight difficulties all along.

2. Practice Acceptance - Like any goal you have, you need to feel positive about what you’re trying to accomplish. However, you, and most other people, have looked at your weight, felt pain about what you saw, and continued to keep those negative feelings with you while you tried to lose weight.

You must accept yourself first to lose weight, not the other way around.

3. Start Seeing Foods Equally - Over time, you have come to see certain foods as more valuable than others. That’s the real reason why you’re not getting enough vegetables and healthy foods in your daily life. To stop this, you need to learn to stop judging the foods you come across. Then, start giving them all the appreciation they deserve.

4. Recognize The Source of Food - Food is the energy that keeps us alive. But not all foods are made of the same energy. Some of it offers you positive energy, the kind that helps you get the body you want. Other foods, especially refined and processed ones, have energy that takes away from you and tells your body to hold onto its junk, aka fat.

5. Make Conscious Decisions - It’s time to start turning off the cruise control in your mind and start getting your hands on the wheel. If you truly want to lose weight, you need to be an active participant in seeing how food fits into your life.

Once you start to plan how you can fit better eating in, you’ll be able to apply all the nutritional advice out there in the world.

6. Gain Control of Your Emotions - Emotions have never been a good way to make decisions in business and many other areas of life. So why do you let it happen in your relationship with food? Starting to recognize and break the cycle of emotional decisions is your ticket to making smarter choices even in the face of emotions like boredom and worry.

7. Practice Effortless, Positive, Choices. - The real secret of reaching your weight loss goals is actually learning to enjoy the experience, not just the results. You can make this happen when you remove the struggle, the negativity, and the wrong focus in your relationship with food. Making this change means results that no diet quick tips or metabolism boosters could ever match.