mindful

  I made this cupcakes for my husband for Valentine's day.. very hard because... I have begun the 3rd try at my lifestyle change.. of eating better and exercising regularly. So looking at cupcakes in the house... was tough.. and my son.. I try to keep sweets away from him ( he has adhd) thank goodness my husband ate them and I had only one, and my son had none.

A friend of mine tells me to be more mindful.. and I was not sure if I knew what mindful even was....
so I found a websitewww.tcme.org it was very helpful.. but I still was not sure if I could put my thoughts of food into a category of just eating.. and not for comfort.
 I stumbled upon http://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating they has some tips for me.. like not to multi-task while eating and how to appreciate the presentation, smell and color of food.
I started reading Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall.. and I got a book out of the library called Mindful eating by Jan Chozen Bay.... In this book she talks about the 7 kinds of hunger..... very EYE opening.

1. Eye hunger: You want to eat what you see. For instance, you may see a dessert tray in a restaurant and want the dessert even though you’re already stuffed. The beauty of the food entices you.
2. Nose hunger: You smell something you want to eat. For example, you may walk into a bakery, smell something wonderful baking, and your mouth begins to salivate. Most of our sense of taste is related to smell. I’m sure you’ve experienced congestion from a bad cold and lost most of your sense of taste.
3. Mouth hunger: You want to taste something and chew. Sometimes your mouth wants things that are crunchy or soft, hot or cold, salty or sweet, and so on. My favorite crunchy, cold, salty food is potato chips.
4. Stomach hunger: You feel your stomach wants food because it feels empty or is gurgling. You may feel like your stomach is trying to digest itself.
5. Mind hunger: You have thoughts of eating food. Your thoughts may begin with “I should” or “I shouldn’t”. For instance, you may think you should eat your green beans, but not more French fries.
6. Heart hunger: You want certain types of food you find comforting. For instance, I’m comforted by chocolate - I want to eat it when I’m sad or anxious.
7. Cellular hunger: You feel that the cells in your body want something. For example, if your body lacks certain vitamins, your cells may crave certain foods that contain those vitamins.

My biggest problem is heart hunger.... What is your kind of hunger?

When I was working in a daycare/school my friend and boss Rita.. talked about celebrations and feasts... she said.. food and celebration can be very bad.. and that school children have the idea that every holiday... Valentine's day and St.Patrick's day etc... they are bombarded with sugary cookies, cupcakes and candy..and they begun to associate.. sugar with a party.. and fun. I thought she was crazy. or at least taking it to far... until this year.. My son's class .. they have 22 kids.. and so far.. 8 have had a birthday party at 2:10 in his class with cupcakes.. ( 20 minutes before dismissal.. guess what kid I get of the bus) NO one has complained or even thought about fruit, pizza etc... instead... I love to make things for Valentine's day.. and things that are edible like candy and cupcakes are cheaper than... toys... or other items... but I have to think.. it would be fine if the only times children got a dose of sugar was a party... but that is not the case.. most children have juice, soda, and many other sweet things at home...too. This Valentine's day.. we won't even discuss all the red dye he received at school... let's talk about the bag of candy he got from kind parents... it was a mini Halloween. I took it all away... and he has not asked for it.. I had to throw it out.. or I might be tempted to eat it.. I felt like I was being wasteful.. and I wanted to tell myself shame on me.. as I also sent in creative candy... but still candy.

  In Jane Goodall's books she talks about Celebrations and Feasts.
" All over the world major events are celebrated with feasting , the consumption of large amounts of food and, sometimes, alcohol as well. Feasts  among the wealthy during the days of the Roman Empire were sumptuous and elaborate.  To celebrate this victory over Pompey, for example Julius Caesar gave a banquet feast that lasted for two days with 150,000 guests."
She also mentions in her book that" Scotland celebrates New Year's Eve in a big way. After leaping to their feet to sing "Auld Lang Syne" comes the toast to the new year, and then throwing  of glasses." Food is part of religious traditions as well. The quote "Food to a large extent is what holds a society together and eating is closely linked to deep spiritual experiences." Peter Farb and George Armelagos Consuming Passions:The Anthropology of eating. In Jane Goodalls book she talks about eating meat, farms,global supermarkets and about eating locally and seasonally.  The chapter I most enjoyed was chapter 15.. At home and at school:
Feeding our children.  She discusses the importance of family meals.. and the breakdown of the family. Many cultures believe that family dinner is a place to strengthen bonds through telling stories from the day and sharing ideas, while enjoying good food. I am sure you have heard it before that  research shows that children who frequently eat meals with their families tend to do better in school and have fewer behavior problems. I have contributed to a great group  called kids cook Monday, they have a new website that will be launching this month hopefully it will be at thekidscookmonday.com   Kids cook Monday is a way anyone with a blog can put families in charge of their own health and create kid friendly recipes and meals.. Sometimes in the form of a video.. or just a recipe.. Kids can help make it.
When kids pitch in making meals, they’re empowered to consider the portions, the vitamins and the nutrients of what they’re eating. And since the family that cooks together eats together, parents can check in with their children during dinner. I have seen these groups do Meatless Monday check it all out here. www.mondaycampaigns.org/the-kids-cook.monday/

I have also just learned of another great group called the Sweet Potato Chronicles, they are on facebook. It is a group dedicated to the nutrition and portion size for families and children. They are sponsoring a contest for kids.. and cooking.. so if you have a little one who is like a mini Julia child... go to www.sweetpotatochronicles.com/wordpress/2011/kids-can-cook-contest/
 So I will continue my journey to be mindful when eating and when creating snacks and meals for my son.