Mindful Eating

In our go-go-go world, it's so hard to find time to sit down and enjoy a meal, appreciating the way the food we eat nourishes our bodies. This leaves many of us out of touch with our sense of hunger, not to mention with the pleasure of eating. It's hard to derive much joy from wolfing down a candy bar on the way to the subway.

According to an article published in the June Environmental Nutrition newsletter, in a 2008 General Mills online hunger and eating survey that included 1,049 men and women aged 18 and over, only 6% indicated that they almost always notice physical hunger such as a growling stomach before they eat.

When subjects were asked how often they multi-task (driving, walking, working, watching TV, shopping online, etc.) while eating, only 3% reported never. Only 34% of participants indicated that they decide a meal or snack is over when they feel full.

There is a very popular meditation about mindfully eating a raisin, taking a long time to focus on the texture and the flavor and the feel of it in the mouth. Many practitioners use it in treatment for overeating, but it's a great exercise for anyone who feels that they need help focusing.

Not that you have to take a full minute to ponder every single bite of your food, but try slowing down and allowing yourself to sit down and practice mindful eating. Listen to your body's signals that tell you when you're hungry and when you're full. Eating well balanced meals at regular intervals will help keep your energy levels up, along with your mood. It may seem hard at first to fit healthy eating into your schedule, but once you realize how great you feel when you honor your body and its needs, it will seem easy.

A few helpful hints:

*Plan ahead–Pack snacks like fresh, seasonal fruits so you have healthy food to keep you going if hunger strikes.
*Carry a bottle of water with you. Dehydration makes your mind cloudy, making it hard to hear the messages your body is sending you. It will also keep you from reaching for sugary soft drinks.
*Don't skip meals. It messes with your metabolism and makes you more likely to give in to the allure of vending machines and the pastry display at Starbucks.
*Remind yourself whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed out that you don't have to be multi-tasking all the time. Eating a meal is important in and of itself. While it may be easy to forget, taking care of yourself is a priority!


For more information about seasonal foods and flavors and healthy eating, visit Five Seasons Healing online.

Great Article on Urban Gardening

In this morning's New York Times, there was a great article about urban gardening.

While city dwellers have been growing tomatoes and herbs in little planters for years, there has been a recent increase in home-grown fruits and vegetables.

Though tax incentives have been a motivation for some, but it runs much deeper for many. Paula Crossfield, the managing editor of Civil Eats blog about sustainable agriculture, considers the 400-square-foot garden on her Lower East Side roof to be an extension of her work. “Growing my own food helps me understand better what I write about: how food gets to our table, the difficulties it entails.”

“The bottom line,” she said, “is that I harbor a secret desire to be a farmer, and my way of doing that is to use what I have, which is a roof.”

If you've been thinking about starting a garden, why not do it this summer? With the solstice coming up, there's no bette time.

For more info on what foods are in season, visit Five Seasons Healing online.

Photo courtesy of nytimes.com

Acupuncture at Wal-Mart

After the implementation in February 2008 of in-store health clinics in Atlanta, Little Rock and Dallas under “The Clinic at Wal-Mart” brand, Wal-Mart has set its sights on the holistic health market with the opening of Wal-Mart Community Acupuncture clinics in several of its major urban centers across America.

Said Wal-Mart Senior Vice President and president, health and wellness Dr. John Agwaunobi, “Chinese medicine and pharmacology are a great treasure house and efforts should be made to increase both access and affordability, which seem to go hand in hand.”

Many acupuncturists have been eager to participate. Some plans for the project include immediate availability of acupuncture to "massive and unreachable markets of patients, free education for acupuncture students, jobs for failed private practice acupuncturists and the creation of new, guaranteed jobs for Wal-Mart trained acupuncturists."

While the phrase "Wal-Mart trained acupuncturist" doesn't exactly make me want to trek to the nearest of the 3800 Wal-Mart stores to try it out for myself, it is encouraging to see such a mainstream company embracing alternative medicine.

Read more about it here and feel free to visit the Five Seasons Healing website for more information about alternative medicine and local practitioners in the New York area.

Anna Quindlen speaks at Wesleyan

On Thursday, June 4th, author Anna Quindlen spoke at the Commencement Ceremony for Wesleyan University, my alma mater. I found her speech thought provoking and inspiring.

She began by saying she was expected to apologize on behalf of their elders and the entire nation for handing off an "unmitigated disaster" to this year's graduates.

Instead, she suggested that this year's class, "perhaps more than any generation in memory," has "an unparalleled opportunity to remake this nation so that it is stronger, smarter and makes more sense."

Encouraging graduates to consider what "doing better" really means, to think in terms of spirit rather than income, she urged them "not to yield to the status quo" or to "trade happiness for deferred gratification."

She finished by saying,

"With the old house in ruins and the new one still to be built, you are the people who must have the creativity, the audacity, the ideals to answer these questions and so many more. Samuel Beckett once said, “To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now.” The mess, the mess. That’s, finally, what we’re leaving you today. We leave you a mess. And I won’t apologize for that. Instead I want you to see it for what it is: an engraved invitation to transformation. Certainty is dead. Long live the flying leap. Take it. Use it. Bring it. Congratulations!"

You can read the rest of the speech here.

Enjoy!

Yoga and Tai Chi in the Park

Great news for anyone living or working in midtown: On Tuesdays and Thursdays this summer, Bryant Park will be hosting free yoga and tai chi classes! Practicing outside helps soothe the mind, body, and heart—all especially important in the summer season.

Check the park's website for a schedule of classes.

To lear more about exercise and traditional Chinese medicine, visit the Five Seasons Healing website. You can also find a list of local yoga instructors on the Resources page.