By Tammy Davis
Have you ever read the book, 'A Wrinkle in Time'? At one point in the story, the characters find themselves on a planet that's given in to evil forces and life has become synchronized to such a degree that even kids bounce their balls at the same time. In many ways, this is our world. Fear is the evil force that we've succumbed too, and far be it for us to step outside its controlling promises. Instead, we've adopted behaviors like those of our friends, families, and mentors because we at least 'know' the outcome.
Take eating, for instance. It was something we used to do because we felt the need for nourishment. How do we know if we're hungry? Well, you can search for true hunger signs on the internet and you'll find many websites with suggestions on how to know if you're really hungry or emotionally starved; yet, I'm wondering, did someone inform our primitive ancestors of these signs? Or, for that matter, is there a specialist out there sharing this information with today's infants? The answer to both those questions is no. Eating is something we did to satisfy our hunger; hunger was and is an instinct. Sure there are signs, and knowing these signs is vitally important especially if you've lost touch with your body as many people have.
As babies, we knew when we needed food and we did not hesitate to ask for it. Over the years and with the help of society's dictates, we developed eating patterns directing when to eat as well as what to eat, eliminating the requirement to pay attention to what our bodies actually need.
If someone eats more than they THINK they should have, it's not uncommon to hear him or her say, 'I won't / can't / shouldn't eat much if anything tomorrow.' What? If you get a true sign of hunger, you're not going to eat? This goes the other way as well. If someone doesn't get a lot to eat today, it's perfectly ok to eat twice as much tomorrow to make up for today. Really? And then, there are all the diet programs to lose weight and fat, again, dictating when and what to eat which only serve to perpetuate unhealthy practices. Unfortunately, the more ingrained the habits, the more difficult it is to see our way out; even though, it is entirely possible.
Think about babies and very young children. They eat every few hours. Not only that, they'll even let you know what they want to consume. I know, many people would argue with this; however, our kids adopt and mimic our attitudes and choices in food. Keep in mind, we have MANY years of establishing our preferences and whether we like it or not, we hand these off to our children which means a conscious effort to fundamentally shift our practices in addition to honoring theirs (another discussion).
As for the point of this article, realizing we have it in us to instinctively eat is HUGE and it's going to take a willingness to break free of the collective patterns in order to be healthy and energized. Being a part of this world is what we're here to do, and honoring our needs is what it's going to take to allow us to be vital participants.
Tammy Davis, Writer & Holistic Nutrition Coach, Sarasota, Fl
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