We Are What We Eat --- and THINK!

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I know you have all heard this before - we are what we eat - but of course you know I'll put a suZen spin on this because there is a whole lot more to this than "just" what we consume in the way of food!  (Can't believe I'm saying that in light of my recent food blogs!)   I've written before about the mind/body connection.  To say it's a HUGE topic is clearly an understatement.

Imagine, if you will, my NONsurprise in reading about the three major causes of illness and disease - the three T's my textbook calls them - Thoughts, Toxins and Timing!  When you think about it, don't all the "experts" tell us that stress is the major cause of most illness/disease?  And just what is this thing stress?   Thoughts!  Mostly anger, frustration, feelings of victimization, being out of control and a lot of shallow breathing.  It is an illness or disease just waiting to manifest itself.  You may think you will outwit, outplay and survive without repercussions but the body does not forget this abuse! 

Think of it as a huge hard drive - it stores all this crap and it will, in its own time (never YOURS) decide to screw up the computer with this out of date information.  Snafu.  Computer down.  What the hell happened?  It was fine yesterday.   Some people may get to almost retirement age then come down with some god-awful diseases.  Or it could hit you in your forties, fifties.  Gee, you've been so healthy all these years too!   Hmmm, where'd that come from?  Of course the food you have been eating all along is right there too - nasty combo this toxic food and toxic thought duo.  It's a guarantee - you will pay for the abuse eventually.

I found out how this works from my class in Body Chemistry.  Negative thoughts in our heads produce acid in our bodies.  Since our bodies are slightly more alkaline than acid, we can (depending on our thoughts) be adding a boat load of acid to our body without even eating a thing!  Let this build up and over time, if you don't change your thoughts, it won't matter what the heck you eat, your body cannot handle the imbalance.  It will go into survivor mode.  In survivor mode it needs to rob peter to pay paul - it can take calcium in your bones to help neutralize the acid for example.  Can you say osteoporosis?  The body will raise blood pressure trying to cope, and a number of other icky things you don't want to go through.  These are "side effects" to your thinking.  Disease and illnesses are not a product of old age.  (You cannot believe how relieved I was to read THAT!)

Now I know this sounds bizarre to some.  But low and behold we ARE capable - and indeed do! - make our own selves sick.  Just look at the billions spent on anti-acids in this country alone.  Don't blame it ALL on food - though godonlyknows our diets need to be examined too!  But assuming this is truth - that negative thoughts, stress or whatever you want to call this - causes acid in your body, isn't this worth a bit of time to consider some thought-changing?  (I'll cover foods in many future posts as I work my way through "officially" getting certified in health/wellness/nutrition coaching - oh yes, a late in life career swing - how wonderfully exciting!)

There must be a bazillion "experts" out there writing and speaking about the best ways to reduce stress in your life.  All of them great I am sure.  And I'll betcha you have read more than your share of articles on it too.  I relate this quest to my own when my kids were little.

My God, I read every single book available on how to raise kids, how to deal with behaviors - not one book could give me an example of the EXACT scenario I was dealing with at the time.  I was somewhat frantic.  Why couldn't somebody write about my exact problem?  I'm sure I could find it if I just kept looking.  Then the problem would change or morph into something ELSE.  So I would hit the books again.  Nope.  Nothing there on "this".  Then the kids became teens.  Get thee to new library!  Ha!  This too, shall pass.

If I had been as Zen then, as I am now, I would have realized  the value of "This too shall pass."  Relax.  It is all about how you process your external environment - not actually the environment itself.  That takes care of itself in most cases.  For example, you have an impossible boss.  The world is full of those and don't bother with the library!  Doesn't matter that you think your problem is unique and there must be Somebody Somewhere who will tell you what to do about it.   It's all about how you think about the situation that ultimately will determine your stress level.  Don't spend the day cussing beneath your breath.  B-R-E-A-T-H-E deeply, realize you cannot control the jerk, and YOU and your health are more important than his egotistical behavior, and just do your work.  Let it go.  Say you can't?  Have a good spin with Eckhart Tolle and his chapters on ego.  You don't want this problem so don't HAVE this problem. 

There is a saying "Chop Wood - Carry Water" in Zen.  Do the work, whatever it is, be mindful of what you are doing and HOW you are breathing.  We expell a certain amount of toxic acids with our exhaling.  Make that work for you!  They don't say "the breath of life" for nothing! 

Start with your thoughts.  Positive thinking - does a body good!!!!

Eat something green today.  (It's one of the commandments you know!)
Hugs,
suZen