Eating for Bliss

By Shakaya Breeze

Creating Harmony

Around Your Dinner Table

Feeding ourselves is a sacred task. This is why I have embraced the Living Foods lifestyle. Everything about it brings nourishment and has been so exciting, yet not without its challenges. My husband comes from a well-meaning Italian family; meat, pasta, bread and cheese dominate every celebration. Being RAW is tricky - you have to learn to plan ahead. I fill my family up with Green Smoothies before the party and bring the salads, fruit platters and raw desserts. Then I let go and enjoy the party! Being flexible and adaptable is a sign of good mental health. ‘A little of what you fancy does you good’ and being rigid is more stressful than allowing occasional compromises.

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Harmony Is Healthy And Pleasurable

I have learned that an over emphasis on food can mar the entire experience and though I am passionate about nourishing myself and family, there’s no need to judge others. Having travelled the world, I was always touched by the loving (not stressful) relationship other cultures had with their food. Be it Asia, South America, Australia or Europe, the focus was never on calories or health per se. The central theme seemed to be about PLEASURE. Everything about food was for enjoyment: from the beautiful way food was displayed in local markets to the way it was artfully prepared and gracefully served. HOW we eat, our state of being, is as important as WHAT we

June/July 2010

eat. When we eat on the run, while driving, watching TV or reading the news, while standing up… Where is the sanctity, or nourishment in that?

What’s Eating You?

Sadder still is how everyone here is on a diet - even pre-teens. All the dieting in the world won’t guarantee physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. And no matter how much we binge we still remain hungry and empty on some level. Only when we begin eating mindfully with our senses fully open and awake will we be truly nurtured and fed. When I fully understood the damage of ‘shoulding’ on my family over foods that I believed they ‘should’ eat , I determined that I needed to find ways of bringing harmony. Here are some rituals to re-establish a more balanced, peaceful connection with our food:

Rituals That Bring Sanctuary Around Our Eating

When preparing a meal for yourself or the family, light a little candle just for YOU. think about ways to charge the atmosphere with excitement, connection, calm, or fun. put on some music to enjoy, or sing, chant or pray- this relaxes you and puts your energy and your love into the food- which is the most important nutrient. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100