“Is a mocha cappuccino food?” I asked my son in jest. What constitutes food has been the theme of many debates my son, Kaiden, and I have had this week. On Monday he decided not to eat for a week. I tried to convince him to take on a more manageable goal, like starting with a one day fast. Kaiden’s mind was made up and there was nothing I could say or do to dissuade him.
I could see that this challenge meant a lot to him and his self confidence, so I looked for ways to support him. I decided to join him in this challenge. Not wanting him (or me) to completely survive on water alone, I suggested that drinks were not food. A brilliant suggestion, I thought, because it would allow us to consume as many smoothies and veggie juices as we wanted to get the nutrients we needed. I have to admit that the cafe moccachino with whip cream that we shared was a stretch. It surely was approaching ‘food’, but hunger and the yumminess factor clouded our judgement at the time.
As we determined what did and did not fall under the definition of ‘food’, our awareness of what we put in our mouths increased. So much of our daily eating routines, we discovered, were automatic. I began examining what basic nutrients did my body need to maintain minimum energy and balance. Of course I was most concerned about my son and him not passing out in school. So, I loaded his smoothies with as much protein and fruits, including bananas, as possible. I began looking at the elements that make up the food and not the food container itself, in this case a smoothy. That was a real shift for me.
I was also able to examine hunger more closely. By simply observing my automatic thought triggers like meal time and social interactions, I was able to distinguish the difference in my body between real hunger and cravings. I think this experience helped me face my fear of hunger. Hunger is a bit like pain to me. It is to be avoided at all costs. When I get a headache, I take a tylenol. When I am hunger, I eat. This time, I was able to simply observe the uncomfortable feeling of hunger without fleeing. Though I definitely wanted to escape at times, I remained present to the uncomfortable feelings. I discovered that by focusing my thoughts, I could quite effortlessly turn my attention away from the hunger for long periods of time. I realized I had more power than I thought over my hunger. What an empowering realization that was!
My next question, what constitutes a week?
Lianne Bridges is the founder of Designing Transformation consulting, offering marketing, brand and social media coaching to social entrepreneurs, educators, whole health practitioners, artists and activists who are trying to positively transform the world. She is also the co-founder of the Shift Village network, a community designed to help people do what they love for a living. Lianne is a writer and mother of two boys in the rural community of Hudson, outside of Montreal.
Contact Lianne at: lianne@DesigningTransformation.com
You’re an inspiration, LIanne, in how you rise to the curiosity of the world around you and how you support your kids in doing the same.
Thanks so much Deirdre for your kind words.
Your comments about food and what our body really needs are timely. I often wonder how many of us are actually listening to our bodies and what they are communicating to us. What if we asked before we ate – hummm food for thought (pun intended)
Thanks for the food for thought Betty:)