What are you hungry for?

Permanent Happiness

“Almost everyone I've ever met who overeats is doing so on behalf of an old self (a discouraged child, an unpopular teenager, a self-conscious young adult) who no longer exists.”

Deepak Chopra (What Are You Hungry For?: The Chopra Solution to Permanent Weight Loss, Well-Being, and Lightness of Soul)

With Thanksgiving behind us, we head into the holidays sated. Most of us have eaten in a single weekend twice what we normally eat in a week, and our waist bands are talking to us. And now we confront the consumer event of the year. I have three social occasions to cook for in the next week—desserts for all of them. Many of us give ourselves some leeway this time of year, because we know there will be no escape from rich food without being rude, but also because food is one of life's greatest joys.

There is also the business of trying to heal old wounds with goodness. In the words of Kate Wicker (Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body), “We have it in our heads that if we fill our stomachs, we'll fill our hearts.” We use food to make us feel better, and it works momentarily. But overeating is a negative feedback loop—we eat to feel better, but then we feel bad because we gain weight, and feeling bad drives us to eat. Chopra is right—we are attempting to soothe our wounded inner child.

There is a difference between eating to enjoy good food, and eating to feel better, and it is usually a matter of volume. Just as there is a difference between having a glass of wine with dinner, and consuming a bottle of wine in an evening, or buying one small, thoughtful gift for a friend, instead of filling a bag with everything imaginable. It is the difference between quality and quantity.

Going into the holidays, we may want to increase our mindfulness. When we eat mindfully, we are satisfied with less. Happiness is not found in what we consume—even if it's a chocolate lava cake. “Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” (Dennis Waitley)

                                                   In the Spirit,

                                                          Jane