We've been talking about cravings the last few weeks, and we want to go into another facet of it today. Cravings can come up around certain activities or situations where we regularly crave a particular food even though we aren't hungry. Almost like a cycle. When this happens, then the craving rises. But at the same time there's a niggling thought that we really shouldn't give into the craving.
So it isn't just about getting rid of the craving because eating the food does that. But how do we break the cycle? How do we deal with those feelings without eating the food?
Join us to hear more.
As simple as this seems, if we pause and let our mind settle for a moment, the feeling can shift quite quickly. Now, when we say pause, that doesn't mean wait 10 seconds before reaching for the food, it means let your attention be with the feeling of the craving very lightly instead of being caught in the urgency of it. Pause and let your mind settle.
My mind doesn't settle if I keep my attention on that feeling, on the craving and the dialogue that's going on inside. The craving gets stronger and I feel like I have to resist it. Pausing to let the mind settle isn't to resist anything. It's to pause and let the mind relax. Let it just be with the feeling without any thoughts about it. Have you ever reflected on your thoughts when the craving is coming up?
I always have thoughts like "I shouldn't," or "I don't need it, really" along with, "Heck, it's just a small piece of ...." There's almost always an inner conflict pulling me this way and that, and that keeps the feeling strong and urgent. In that state, I don't find my best thinking.
That's why we say, pause and let the mind settle. This is the critical part. If my mind doesn't settle, the feelings and the agitation increase until I do something to change that.
One way to change the agitation is by really meeting the feeling, meeting it in a way that is like welcoming it in. Instead of resisting it and wanting it to go away, open (which requires letting the thinking ABOUT it go) and be curious to see what that feeling actually is. Surprisingly, when the mind settles by not resisting the feeling, the should or shouldn't debate in our mind ends and we can simply be with the feeling.
This can be like holding an upset child without resisting the fact that they're upset. From that settled space in me, the child settles too. From a settled mind, our feelings settle too.
As we become more adept at welcoming and being with our feelings, the less they seem to arise. The cycle starts to slow down until it doesn't even come up any more. And if the craving does arise again, it doesn't trigger the same urgency, allowing us to again welcome it instead of resisting it.
Our cravings are often tied by habit to situations that we've never really explored the nature of. The craving can feel very urgent, like a call to action, and we react without seeing what's really going on. As we learn to relax and embrace our feelings, we can see what is behind the craving and the cycle begins to end. Give it a try and let us know what you find.
The recipe this week is a Walnut Orange Cranberry Bars. It follows my favourite way of making bars, starting with almonds, dates and rolled oats, and adding different combinations of fruits. This time it's the wonderful combination of oranges and cranberries with walnuts. Enjoy.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Walnut Orange Cranberry Bars
- ½ cup almonds
- 8 medium dates (like Deglet Noor)
- 2 bananas
- 2 navel oranges (seedless), peeled. (Dice ½ of one orange to fold in at the end)
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350º.
Add almonds and dates to a food processor and process to a medium chunk.
Add bananas and oranges (holding out ½ of an orange, diced, to fold in later) and mix in thoroughly.
Add oats, cinnamon and baking powder and process to the chunkiness you like.
Spoon out the batter into a bowl and fold in the cranberries, nuts and diced orange. Alternatively, you can add the cranberries, nuts and diced orange to the food processor and pulse gently to fold in.
Pour the batter into an 8” x 8” baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean in the centre and they’re beginning to brown around the edges.
Let cool, cut into squares and serve.