In memory of October 5th 2019 when a Tibetan monk walked into the area where I was having breakfast, Bristows Lighthouse Bungalow in Fort Cochin in Kerala.
We talked and one of the things we talked about was (appropriately) was about eating
Somone approaches the Buddha and asks, what are you doing?
We are sitting, we are talking and we are eating.
But the person with the query continued: Every one sits, everyone talks and every one eats.
Buddha replied, yes that is true.
But when we sit, we know we are sitting; when we are talking we know we are talking; when we are eating, we know we are eating.
I am always thankful for the food I get, mainly because of my life being spent as an itinerant, travelling and living in many countries. Last night, my Jamaican Brother, cooked Ackee and Saltfish and it was such a treat
And always say
Itadakimasu before beginning of a meal and thank the person who prepared it.
Mindful eating has become popular and also the so called Buddha Diet (fashioned after Monks who finish their meals for the day by early afternoon), now named Intermittent Fasting.
When you are a Foodie, you are enjoying, savouring and aware of your food. You are not thinking about loosing weight or fitting into it your lifestyle or following a fad. Whether indulging in Fish Tacos at Morgans at Wynwood in Miami or a lovely Masala Dosai in Cochin (the last memorable Dosai was in Colombo, Sri Lanka at a Muslim Resto), the memory is of the friends, good times had and also the taste of food in the palates.
I saw a phrase today, which made me think, Societies of Satiety. We talk about Dieting and Nutrition etc when you have plenty of food around. Where there is Scarcity of Food (an approximate one third of USA) then you are thinking of EATING and not concentrating on knowing whether you are eating. Unless you are a Western Wannabee, you very seldom hear about Diet and Nutrition, while travelling through Asia.
Grilled Sting Ray at Jalan Alor , Kuala Lumpur
I still can savour it, the last time with my UmonHon Indian friends during our trip together to South East Asia
Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 97, Issue 4, April 2013, Pages 728–742,
Evidence indicates that attentive eating is likely to influence food intake, and incorporation of attentive-eating principles into interventions provides a novel approach to aid weight loss and maintenance without the need for conscious calorie counting.
I have noticed that many of the "nutrition" and Wellness Expert' would cherry pick and just mention: scientific studies have shown that Buddhist monk diet is good for weight loss. But they miss the essence. Spiritual life is not about, paying bits of attention to those elements you life in between your rock climbing and cafe Latte. These people are Gluttons from the Societies of Satiety.
Thich Nhat Hanh
I love to sit and eat quietly and enjoy each bite, aware of the presence of my community, aware of all the hard and loving work that has gone into my food. When I eat in this way, not only am I physically nourished, I am also spiritually nourished. The way I eat influences everything else that I do during the day.Mar 9, 2010
During the year I spent learning Japanese Nutrition, I learned
to be aware and be grateful for those who prepared your food.
It would be a disrespect for the people who grew this food, the
people who prepared this food, if you ate it while in a foul
mood, quarrelling at the table or shouting, my Japanese friend
informed me.
I lament to say that at that time I was not ready to receieve the wisdom of the Japanese, and I looked at my experience with hazy eyes of an uninitiated. But it evoked a deep interest in nutrition which now benefits my patients.
Nutrition is not only what you eat but also as Thich Nhat Hanh said, about the connection to the community and being aware of what you are eating.
I have a patient who sends me photos of his blood sugars and what he eats, and we discuss why what where about the food and his lifestyle. He is happy . I am happy and his metabolism comes back to normal.
I will add when he sends me his next reading and I can assure you it would be in the normal range. This is the power of relationship and wholeness of the lifestyle.
added 1030 pm on 30.10.2020
he sent me his Blood Sugar before dinner and a picture of his dinner
