I am not above magical thinking. I am probably a little susceptible to a good shaman con-artist. Its lucky I did not end up a Scientologist. I all goes back to my boyhood love for the show Kung Fu, where the boy had masters who led him along a spiritual path of rice paper until he learned to snatch a pebble from a blind man's hand and kick a little butt. But I digress, all that to say that when I first heard about the book, Eat, Pray, Love, part of me hoped it was a spiritual guide to weight loss. Imagine my disappointment to find out it is about a woman who travels to India, eats good Indian food and falls in love, even if it was Julia Roberts doing it. I was seeking spiritual guidance and all I got was more Hollywood schlock.
There is, after all, something spiritual about eating. Stop eating for long enough and body and soul will separate. In fact, many of the world's major religions practice some form of ritualistic fasting, I think in part to emphasize those distinct components: body and soul and the delicate relationship that exists between the two. If fasting emphasizes spirituality, then it would follow that over-eating emphasizes the opposite, the gluttony of the body to the exclusion of the soul. There is a reason at Over Eaters Anonymous that they ask for help from a higher power.
One small takeaway I want from my disappointment about the subject of that book, is the connection between eating and praying. I have friends who I notice pray before each meal, not a loud showy prayer, but a quiet prayer for themselves. I highly respect that simple act and would like to emulate it. I would always like to remember to stop before I eat to be thankful that I have enough good food and never take that for granted. Oh, and I still want to snatch a pebble from a blind man's hand.
Consumption:
Cheerios and Raisin Bran cereal with skim milk
Half a grapefruit
Steak salad with tomatoes and carrots
Cheese plate with toasted bread
Ham and pickles
3 glasses of red wine
Exercise:
30 minutes of vigorous swing dancing
My Fitness Pal said I was 80 calories inside of my daily goal after factoring in the dancing.
There is, after all, something spiritual about eating. Stop eating for long enough and body and soul will separate. In fact, many of the world's major religions practice some form of ritualistic fasting, I think in part to emphasize those distinct components: body and soul and the delicate relationship that exists between the two. If fasting emphasizes spirituality, then it would follow that over-eating emphasizes the opposite, the gluttony of the body to the exclusion of the soul. There is a reason at Over Eaters Anonymous that they ask for help from a higher power.
One small takeaway I want from my disappointment about the subject of that book, is the connection between eating and praying. I have friends who I notice pray before each meal, not a loud showy prayer, but a quiet prayer for themselves. I highly respect that simple act and would like to emulate it. I would always like to remember to stop before I eat to be thankful that I have enough good food and never take that for granted. Oh, and I still want to snatch a pebble from a blind man's hand.
Consumption:
Cheerios and Raisin Bran cereal with skim milk
Half a grapefruit
Steak salad with tomatoes and carrots
Cheese plate with toasted bread
Ham and pickles
3 glasses of red wine
Exercise:
30 minutes of vigorous swing dancing
My Fitness Pal said I was 80 calories inside of my daily goal after factoring in the dancing.
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