Studying satya and trying to be honest about what I was eating and why led me to a related yogic ideal brahmacharya (moderation). According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra II.38, a balanced life is characterized by moderation in all things. The first time I came across this concept as it applied to eating habits was in Ram
Dass’s 1970s handbook for a spiritual life, Remember, Be Here Now. He discussed mitahara (moderate diet), advising readers to eat light, healthy, unadulterated foods. He said that after a meal your stomach
should be 50 percent full with food, 25 percent full with water, and 25 percent empty with room for air. What a revelation! As a child, I’d been taught to clean my plate whether I was hungry or not. With Ram Dass’s advice, I began to consistently eat less of everything—not by starving myself but by becoming aware
of that moment in a meal when I’ve had just enough, but not too much. Practicing mitahara and satya kept me
honest about how much food I needed in order to feel satisfied, and also about
what I was putting on my plate. I listened to nutritionists’ recommendations and
gave up packaged foods. Instead, I ate lots of vegetables and fruits, made sweet
and tangy pineapple my new favorite snack, and began cooking with beans and lentils. Who knew that nutty, aromatic brown rice could be so comforting and satisfying? Or that a rainbow of roasted or skewered and grilled vegetables could be as fun to make as it was to eat? Out went simple carbs and in came new- to-me whole grain dishes like quinoa salads and spelt tortillas stuffed with beans and whatever vegetables I had on hand. I also added daily one-hour walks and twiceweekly visits to the gym.
One of my biggest revelations came when I found a simple recipe for vegetarian chili in an old cookbook. The chili, made with salsa, tomatoes, and black beans and spiced with cumin and coriander, taught me a lesson about how changing eating habits and losing weight start in the mind. For months, my boyfriend
(now husband), Neil, and I ate the chili all the time, as often as three or four times a week. When we first started eating it, Neil would dish up the bowls and serve
them with toasted whole wheat bread and a generous sprinkling of cheese. We’d scoop the toast into the chili, making miniature black bean sandwiches. It was so delicious we often had seconds. Then one
day, we were out of bread. We were beside ourselves: chili without toast? Horrors! To
our surprise, the chili was just as satisfying on its own. A few weeks later, Neil forgot to buy cheese. Again, we realized that the chili tasted just as good without it. I found that if I was honest with myself, I was perfectly content without the bread, cheese, and second helpings. Slowly but surely, my appetite adjusted, and in nine months, I lost 40 pounds. That was almost eight years ago, and with the exception of my pregnancy, my weight has stayed about the same ever since.
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Dass’s 1970s handbook for a spiritual life, Remember, Be Here Now. He discussed mitahara (moderate diet), advising readers to eat light, healthy, unadulterated foods. He said that after a meal your stomach
should be 50 percent full with food, 25 percent full with water, and 25 percent empty with room for air. What a revelation! As a child, I’d been taught to clean my plate whether I was hungry or not. With Ram Dass’s advice, I began to consistently eat less of everything—not by starving myself but by becoming aware
of that moment in a meal when I’ve had just enough, but not too much. Practicing mitahara and satya kept me
honest about how much food I needed in order to feel satisfied, and also about
what I was putting on my plate. I listened to nutritionists’ recommendations and
gave up packaged foods. Instead, I ate lots of vegetables and fruits, made sweet
and tangy pineapple my new favorite snack, and began cooking with beans and lentils. Who knew that nutty, aromatic brown rice could be so comforting and satisfying? Or that a rainbow of roasted or skewered and grilled vegetables could be as fun to make as it was to eat? Out went simple carbs and in came new- to-me whole grain dishes like quinoa salads and spelt tortillas stuffed with beans and whatever vegetables I had on hand. I also added daily one-hour walks and twiceweekly visits to the gym.
One of my biggest revelations came when I found a simple recipe for vegetarian chili in an old cookbook. The chili, made with salsa, tomatoes, and black beans and spiced with cumin and coriander, taught me a lesson about how changing eating habits and losing weight start in the mind. For months, my boyfriend
(now husband), Neil, and I ate the chili all the time, as often as three or four times a week. When we first started eating it, Neil would dish up the bowls and serve
them with toasted whole wheat bread and a generous sprinkling of cheese. We’d scoop the toast into the chili, making miniature black bean sandwiches. It was so delicious we often had seconds. Then one
day, we were out of bread. We were beside ourselves: chili without toast? Horrors! To
our surprise, the chili was just as satisfying on its own. A few weeks later, Neil forgot to buy cheese. Again, we realized that the chili tasted just as good without it. I found that if I was honest with myself, I was perfectly content without the bread, cheese, and second helpings. Slowly but surely, my appetite adjusted, and in nine months, I lost 40 pounds. That was almost eight years ago, and with the exception of my pregnancy, my weight has stayed about the same ever since.
1 comments:
Hi,
Want to share something about Healthy Eating Manners which I read online just few minutes ago that,
Buying more fruit will help you on your way to five a day for a healthy heart. Fresh fruit is always good but do not forget there is a great choice of frozen fruit available in most stores now which is just as good. Also you could try dried fruit, this is great to put in kids lunchboxes as an alternative to a chocolate bar.
Health Tips
-- Baiju
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