The Tao of Hunger . .

Last night I felt hungry and I wanted to go to the kitchen and make some more juice, but I was tired of working in the kitchen and tired of washing the juicer, tired of juicing and cleaning up the mess.  Basically, I was bored and tired.  So, I decided to just observe my hunger and to tap into my emotional state.

Yes, hunger is an emotional state.  It really is.

Of course, hunger is also a signal from the brain that the body wants or needs food - but this signal is many times not entirely "true" to the body's physical level of functioning.  What I mean is, the more we eat, the stronger the signal, and the less we eat, the more "real" that signal becomes.  The "want" becomes the "need", the desire reveals itself as the addiction, and the discomfort changes to a resetting of the metabolic condition.

When I heard my brain demand that I eat NOW or I was going to endanger my health, I talked back.  How much had I already had today?  How much physical activity had I done?  Had I drank enough juice, water, tea, etc.?

I also identified the emotional content of this brain charge.  For a brief moment or two, I took the time to examine what I felt - some kind of comfort trigger, as in, instantaneous gratification noise, but "white noise", not really words or imagery.  It seemed to be coming from a very deep level of my core.

If hunger has ever been a part of one's life, as in when one is in college, busy with studies, parties, work or other activity, or even as a financial result, not enough money to eat in restaurants, or to afford expensive groceries (and with the price of food now, that's not even a far stretch), hunger can be familiar and not very threatening.  But, when someone is used to snacking when they want to, just for the taste of something, and gives in to the urge to eat to cover one's emotional imbalances,  hunger signals become more like drug dealers who hold out tempting "quick fixes" in order to keep us addicted and passive in realizing the true state of our bodies' needs.

Its not a danger to be hungry at times, it just FEELS like it is.  Hunger pangs can really be scary!  Think about it.  Next time you get hungry, stop, look, and listen to your body.  Drink some water if you have it near.  If not, close your eyes and take some deep breaths.  Google the hunger reflex and learn about what the brain does in order to create a response when your body needs food for nutrition, versus what is happening when it doesn't.  Could be interesting.

Just observe it.  Manage it.  Be present in it.  Then, if you need food, eat it, and eat it with thanksgiving and joy.  Relish in its taste and beauty.  How often do we look at our foods, particularly ones that grow from the ground, and think of the miracle of it?

I know I for one, have taken food for granted many times.  I've eaten it fast, half chewed, while driving, while working, while watching TV, or even while talking.  Embarrassing, yes - uncommon, no.

I cannot make juice while driving, or anything else.  I am REQUIRED to wash, examine, and prepare my fruit and vegetables before cutting into them and pulverizing them in the juicer.  This is a great way for me to take the time to be more conscious of that food and thankful that I can still buy it and eat it, and even grow it.

I'm now learning to respond to hunger with humility for the process, and take into account the nutritional needs of my body, not so much the emotional needs that have been, in the past, satisfied by food, and lovingly prepare the juice that will answer the call of my tastes, which are changing, and that will take care of me.

My juice this afternoon?  Kale, cucumber, peaches and lemon.  Later, sweet potatoes, celery, romaine, and hemp oil.  Even later, blueberries, strawberries, and beets.

Mmmmm, all that nutrition.  ;^)