Why do we gain weight? How come we can’t lose it as quickly as we seem to gain it? Why do some people eat a lot and gain nothing, yet others seem to always watch what they eat, and eat the “right” things but are heavier?
I find that the simple mathematical equation: Calories in to calories out ratio, as scientific as it may be, doesn’t answer these questions.
Food has much more to it than simply caloric value. When we eat – we take in information. We use the term “comfort food” to illustrate this idea. Comfort food reminds us of something. It is not only what we eat, but there are feelings that food may evoke as well.
The Stomach channel, in Chinese Medicine (CM), begins at the eye. It continues to the nose, mouth, jaw, and ascends towards the top of the head. It enters the brain, before going down the digestive path, through the throat, the stomach and the intestines. The ancient Chinese, developing the art of the medicine more than 3,000 years ago, acknowledged that the sight of food triggers the digestive process. After we see, smell and taste the food the information follows the channel pathway, and reaches the brain. Our thoughts about the food, the memories it elicits, our assessment of the flavors, and our judgments, are all digested alongside the food.
Separating Pure from Impure
The small intestine, which follows the stomach in the digestive process, is in charge of separating the pure and impure, good and bad.
Here is where the information we “digested” with our food comes into play. When we take in food we love, our energy is such that we are happy to receive it.
Now, imagine really wanting that apple pie or chocolate cake for dessert. Two thoughts cross my mind.
1. I want it. This is yummy!
2. I shouldn’t. This is bad for me!
The conflicting information, the excitement on one hand and the guilt on the other, are now putting the body in a tough spot. What should it do with the food? Feed the cells? Move to the large Intestine and discard it? Is it good or bad? The body just doesn’t know what to do. It is not going to feed it to the cells, because it might be bad for you. At the same time, you wanted it so much so, why get rid of it? Instead the body just holds on to it. You know… just in case.
Our ancestors, in almost every culture, incorporated blessing ritual before eating. Blessing the food, seeing it before you and acknowledging the gratitude and the bountifulness of the earth made us aware of how good the food is for us. When we welcome food with this kind of information, we extract more nutrients from it. We don’t hold on to it, and don’t carry around guilt.
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