Nutritional psychologist and visionary author Marc David has some intersting theories on healthy eating. Most of the information seems obvious, however, I don't think there are very many people who actually follow a diet as described. Heck, if they did, PATHS Take it Off Module may become a thing of the past! Here is some info I found interesting...


"Anxiety about weight loss causes your body to put fat on and retain it,” he writes. “When you simply stop worrying about everything you’re eating and stop punishing yourself at the gym, the weight will come off. People need to learn about the bone-building power of inner peace. The good news is that it takes less than a minute to de-stress the body and move it into maximum nutritional metabolism.”

The slower we eat, the faster we will metabolize. And, according to David, it’s not what we eat that’s important as how and when we eat it. He notes that clients who found “a saner working environment, healthier schedules, real lunch breaks and some precious moments of relaxation” during their day began to lose weight. Rhythm, he explains, is not about mechanical lifestyles. “It’s about agreeing to be alive in a way that works,” he says.

“The mind/heart/soul is the way to go to most dramatically impact stress physiology,” he says. “Embodied movement, mind-body/meditative techniques, breathing, changing core beliefs ―these give about 10,000 times more stress-changing power than any herb or supplement.”

Fast eating and stressful lifestyles impair the entire endocrine and nervous systems. They impede healthy intestinal flora, human growth hormone, thyroid function and thermic efficiency while reducing oxygen and causing inflammation.

In addition, chronic stress maximizes insulin output in response to a rapid rise in blood sugar, signaling the body to store fat and pump out even more cortisol in a vicious cycle that simply leads to even more weight gain.

Amazingly, the body produces insulin from the mere sight of a prohibited piece of cake or the simple thought of an outlawed French fry. Deprivation ignites the cephalic phase insulin response, producing artificially higher insulin levels that pack on the pounds, even though there are no carbohydrates or sugar for that insulin to act upon.

Having a relaxed relationship with food prompts the parasympathetic nervous system to stimulate optimal metabolic function. The brain perceives skipping a meal or denying oneself a forbidden food as a threat and sets off a biochemical chain reaction that results in reduced thermic efficiency and increased fat accumulation.

So a stressful life, a stressful workout and stressful dieting on poor food all contribute to chronic levels of cortisol and insulin―the very catalysts for excess weight gain. David claims that simple relaxation will correct this syndrome and transform the body like magic."

Ahimsa,
This is a great subject.
I have just now decided to slow down and "be one with my food" as I eat it
Before I met my husband I was the slowest eater at the table, really took my time.
Theeeennnnn, I married my husband who can down a burger in three bites and an entire restaurant meal in five minutes.
It's truly incredible.
Thhhhheeeeennnnnnn, after he is finished, he sits and stares at me because he is ready to leave.
Over the twenty-five years we have been married I have really sped up my eating, downing it without a thought to keep up with hubby.
I have huge digestive problems.
Now I can't eat at a restaurant with him anyway 'cause I can't tolerate the food.
So, I am eating my food really really slowly again, chewing completely 'til everything is a liquid. I've made it into a kind of meditative time---no TV, no distractions.
I know this is the right way to eat and that it is going to help me a lot.

You are RIGHT ON about slowing down----and this is true in all aspects of life, not just eating. We must digest life (as well as our food) at a slower pace to regain and continue with good health.

Thanks for sharing
DeAnn