I (re)begin in Chapter 5, pg. 41 with the first principle, which is Reject the Diet Mentality. You should know, I have no argument with this as a basic concept. I have studied some on Ayurveda and I know there is a teaching there, that if you have excess fat then the first thing you should do to better your health is stop thinking about losing weight.
In Ayurveda, they go on to explain that what one should really be doing is looking toward the natural foods, and how one's body and mind are affected by what one eats, the current weather pattern, the habitat and environment of one's home and work, etc. Because, they believe in treating the symptoms. Which, yes, does include that there are time when, even if one is overweight, one needs a little sweetness to one's meal. However, sweetness can come from wheat, chicken, fruit and many other things, and can be moderated according to one's needs.
The needs change. Especially if you are a Vata-Kapha type who is in a place where it is cold in the morning and evening but very hot in the afternoon, and where random dogs jump out at you and bark, sometimes.
One of the things Ayurveda does not teach, which I am very happy about, is that if one wants a cookie one should always have the cookie, because, if you don't have the cookie now, you'll have a box of cookies later Which, for some people is the exact opposite of truth, and they, in point of fact, need to have no cookie at all or they are going to react to the ingredient(s) in the cookie that are luring them in, in the first place, and go wild and not be able to stop eating the cookies.
It happens!
What they do teach about the situation is that you need to know your body. To assess yourself. Why do you want that cookie? Is it because you are tired and you have been taught that a sweet treat will give you energy? Is it because you feel left out while other people are having a cookie a piece? Is it because you haven't eaten in three days and you just want and the cookie is what is there? Are you allergic to any of the ingredients of the cookie. Is it the bacteria in your gut telling you it wants the cookie, so it can proliferate and destroy you?
This is all an example, by the way, of learning actual intuitive eating. There is a learning process if you have been taught wrong. That learning process is asking yourself questions and learning to do that, to assess the situation and the desire, instead of simply reacting to it. It's a very lovling process.
The cookie is neither good nor bad. The question is, is it right for your needs? Or, is your body telling you something different and your mind is relating that information to the cookie? For a fact, your body does not know "cookie". Okay?
Your body is a piece of nature. It has been abused by other people's viewpoints being thrust upon you and/or yourself, all your life, more than likely. But, nevertheless, it doesn't know what your mind has been fed. It speaks to your mind and it is your mind that interprets it.
Your body is not saying "Give me a cookie." Your body is saying "Kill me. I am tired of the torture." perhaps. Be kind to it and stop torturing it, if that is the case. It might be saying something as simple and non-scary as "Starch, please!" though. Or, "Give me energy!" Which means, your mind is thinking "YAASS ... COOKIE!!!!" while your body is hoping you'll go find it a yam, a pear, or something of that sort.
The fundamental principles behind finding out what your body really wants is to 1) Get hungry and 2) Take it shopping. Which means you need to know 1a) What actual hunger feels like and 2 b) Where to shop for real food so that your body can recognize it and give your mind clearer instructions.
Hmm .. haven't even gotten past the title of this section of the book and I already wrote another long bit. Well ...
... To be continued ...
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