How to Stop Craving for Food?
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I eat and eat especially when I am stressful! Lately, I can't seem to stop myself snacking..
When i try abit of mindful eating. I think i have strong craving for temporary pleasure the food can offered. Greed.
Tried Food Reflection but i think it does not work really well for me.
how?? -
Satiety enhancer....
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The Sutra of Buddha’s Bequeath Teachings (Ch. I-chiao-ching Sutra) states, “When we eat, we should regard our food as medicine, for consuming too much or too little is not healthy. A regular and proper dose can support our bodies, cure our hunger, relieve our thirst, and prevent us from becoming ill. Like bees gathering honey, they take what they need, but they don’t consume the whole flower.”
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Be mindful of eating, do not indulge in it. It's either Mindfulness 'takes control' or our Six Senses take control... beware.
Constantly be mindful of our six senses, when eating is happening, just be aware of the eating, just as it is. Realise that it is only the sensation of eating. When craving arise, remain mindful of the thought, if we disregard them and not be attached, then the thoughts have nothing to do with us and will pass quickly. This is also what is meant by 'non-self'. This is the practise of applying mindfulness/awareness. Do find out more about this teaching... mindfulness/awareness practise is perculiar to Buddhism -
what is there?Originally posted by NT2:Satiety enhancer.... -
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Mm but when i tried to stop myself from eating too much, i don't feel comfortable.... i keep thinking abt the food but i can't afford to think about them cos i need to study mah...
The Sutra of Buddha’s Bequeath Teachings (Ch. I-chiao-ching Sutra) states, “When we eat, [b]we should regard our food as medicine, for consuming too much or too little is not healthy. A regular and proper dose can support our bodies, cure our hunger, relieve our thirst, and prevent us from becoming ill. Like bees gathering honey, they take what they need, but they don’t consume the whole flower.”
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Be mindful of eating, do not indulge in it. It's either Mindfulness takes control or our Six Senses take control... beware.[/b]
Im sure some of us snack alot ezp during Exam period...
Maybe i dun practise food reflection duitfully. Can anyone explain what is food reflection for? Im very curious on how to apply dhamma to stop my excessive craving for food, esp yummy one and stop gaining on weight =( -
BTW when i do food reflection in a dhamma camp. My intention of reciting food reflection is not based on an intention for vanitity like losing weight .
When you are picky over foods and eating something that you don't like. Could you feel unhappy and upset?
How many of us actually feel abit unhappy or even upset when we are eating our most-unfavourite food? But then isn't it very silly to get upset over such a trival stuffs?
if u dun discriminate the food given to you and eat them as you are given, no attachment to pleasure the food given to you. You might be more open-minded to the taste of the food you eat. You take whether given to you and eat it with more of a peace of mind.
Even my most unfavourite food like tomato if you think abt it is good for health and complexion...
there is my experience.... -
AgreedOriginally posted by Isis:BTW when i do food reflection in a dhamma camp. My intention of reciting food reflection is not based on an intention for vanitity like losing weight .
When you are picky over foods and eating something that you don't like. Could you feel unhappy and upset?
How many of us actually feel abit unhappy or even upset when we are eating our most-unfavourite food? But then isn't it very silly to get upset over such a trival stuffs?
if u dun discriminate the food given to you and eat them as you are given, no attachment to pleasure the food given to you. You might be more open-minded to the taste of the food you eat. You take whether given to you and eat it with more of a peace of mind.
Even my most unfavourite food like tomato if you think abt it is good for health and complexion...
there is my experience....
That's why, treat our food like medicine
Today in Daily Buddhist Verses:
....Any disturbing noise can be as helpful as silence. How? By dropping your inner resistance to the noise, by allowing it to be as it is, this acceptance also takes you into that realm of inner peace that is stillness.
Whenever you deeply accept this moment as it is no matter what form it takes you are still, you are at peace.
Pay attention to the gap the gap between two thoughts, the brief, silent space between words in a conversation, between the notes of a piano or flute, or the gap between the in-breath and out-breath.
When you pay attention to those gaps, awareness of "something" becomes just awareness. The formless dimension of pure consciousness arises from within you and replaces identication with form.....
- Eckhart Tolle, Excerpt from 'Stillness Speaks' -
only from more study/insight can one practice while renoucing and from practice/renoucing, one increase insight. like a loop.
or u can try scienctific approach. reduce the sugar level while increase ur protein intake(not of meat protein btw, but of tofu, nuts etc).True Hunger
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Hunger is a good signal; it keeps our species alive. Hunger feels like a discontentment in the stomach area. If you are not eating enough, you will feel hungry. A good strategy to manage hunger is to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks at regular times each and every day, no matter what. Some people might think that is a lot of food. However, when you get used to not being hungry, you can easily stop eating when full, and cut back on volume naturally. Skipping the next meal when you overate at the last meal is a bad strategy. It just throws the body back into the cycle of inappropriate hunger pangs again. So make a plan, get food available, and eat 3 meals and 2 snacks at regular times every day.
Blood Sugar Crash This kind of craving feels like a desperate anxiety in your head.. Your body operates best when everything is steady and regular. Every time you eat a meal or snack that is predominantly sweet or starchy, the body is thrown into a "spike & crash" cycle. Sugar or starches cause the blood sugar level to "spike" or rise sharply. It creates a feeling of euphoria and energy. However, everything that goes up must come down, and the blood sugar level always "crashes" after a "spike". The feelings are frightening and this craving truly interrupts your life. Another sweet or starch will "spike" the blood sugar level again, but this is only a temporary solution. A better long-term solution is to eat some protein with every meal and snack. The protein steadies the blood sugar level, and stops the "spike & crash" cycle. The feelings of desperation are replaced by a strong steady energy.
Cells Crying for Micronutrients In my opinion this situation is the most chronic of the food cravings. The cells in our bodies need vitamins and minerals to operate. We are supposed to get them from the food we eat but unfortunately, food is not a great source of micronutrients anymore. Cells crying for micronutrients feels like a vague and endless yearning for something. We "graze" different foods trying to satisfy this mysterious yearning but very little seems to satisfy. Craving for sugar and sweets is very typical. The solution to this craving is simple and powerfulÂ… just give the cells what they want in the way they want to get it. How do we know what the body specifically needs? You and I don't have the education and technology to determine the specific micronutrients required. The best strategy is to take a good base program of micronutrients, somewhat like a little buffet, so that the cells can get what they want when they need it. With a good vitamin and mineral program, this kind of craving can be "cured" within a week.
http://www.realizationcenter.net/fdaddct.htm
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drink lots of water to feel full then wont be able to eat ?Originally posted by Isis:I eat and eat especially when I am stressful! Lately, I can't seem to stop myself snacking..
When i try abit of mindful eating. I think i have strong craving for temporary pleasure the food can offered. Greed.
Tried Food Reflection but i think it does not work really well for me.
how??
water is good for body anyway so no harm -
oh no..
dont become the nxt shou shen nan nu..
(andy lau n sammi show) -
i had tried to asked buddhists around the world in esangha.
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=24574
and u can read how Johnriggs did it in the blog, as he had the similar experience and had overcome it!Now you've asked something on which I'm expert -- having been, until recent years, a lifetime overweight person until I dropped almost a hundred pounds, not through exercise and diets, but through examining the emotional underpinnings of why I ate when I'm not hungry.
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If you FIRST eliminate medical reasons, such as untreated Type II diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (A pre-diabetic condition), both of which can make your body SCREAM for carbs, then the next step is to find out what emotions/situations drive you to eat when you're not hungry and replace food with other strategies.
I kept a Two-Year online blog of my weight reduction and the strategies I developed to drop weight and, most importantly, keep it off. It can be read here: My reduction Blog:
http://www.jonsaintgermain.com/reduction.htm
It's a long read, spanning 2.5 years. but hey -- the stuff works.
I'm putting this in book form, by the way, and my publisher has expressed stron interest, so it will probably be available in about a year (in book form).
Hope this helps,
John R -
i oso need to find an answer, but all your posts so long =x
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Wow, John R must have been expert in weight reduction! A great change indeed...
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If I may suggest, I think some ppl can't stop their craving for food bec somehow, they have lost the internal 'thermostat' that tells them that they're full.
To restart this thermostat, one needs to exercise, bec. doing aerobic exercises (which works your heart, e.g. jogging, brisk walking, cycling) helps to make one feel less hungry afterwards, and when you eat your meal, you'll feel full sooner after eating a moderate amount of food. (Sorry, there is really no short cut, but exercise does have some extra side-benefit, except for swimming which doesn't work for me.... makes me eat more!).
Also, stop eating when you're about 70-80% full (I'm referring to the main meals, not snacking), and finish with a drink/beverage. The reason is that when one overeats, one will over extend your stomach muscles and overtime, you'll feel the need to fill it up fully before you'll feel satiated.
The other usual tip is to eat slowly to give your brain time (20mins) to register that you are full.
I'm sharing my experience. I used to have a weight problem and also liked to eat a lot. Hope it helps. -
Originally posted by sinweiy:
no sorry, it should Not be increasing protein intake. see below new posts.
reduce the sugar level while increase ur protein intake(not of meat protein btw, but of tofu, nuts etc).
/\[/b]some food are high pressure food - they cause stress.
Dr Jiang (in chinese) website.
some food are low pressure food - they reduce stress.
low pressure food are low in protein, low in salt, low in sugar, low in fat and high in fibre. you can refer to Dr Jiang Shu Hui's book Zhe Yang Chi Zui Jian Kang, a buddhist doctor trained in both western and chinese medicine.
when one consume low pressure food, they can cope with stress better. if they still need to snack, they can snack on fruits. typical snack contains pure sugar and high in salt. they cause energy level to go up then suddenly come down. natural sugar in fruits are different. --Bro Shan Xue
http://www.jingtu.org/audio/jk/
ps: be warn, illness enter from the mouth/nose (ping cong kou ru). t'is what happen to Buddha's death(?), my master's teacher upasaka Li Pin nan who was very healthy, but His death was also cause by food poisoning. and recently Master Chin Kung who was a vegetarian for 55 years(!) never got ill, but got ill from unclean food that He ate outside. He told us that food are not 'clean' outside.
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Indeed.. my dharma teacher warned several times that the new/younger generation in Singapore will suffer diseases by their 30s only affected by those in their 50s and above in the current generation. One of the many reasons and an important one would be our very unhealthy diet as compared to the past.
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An article to remind people who love snacking (including me):
The Most Dangerous Potato Chips to Eat
Potato Chips
Public knowledge of the serious dangers found in potato chips may finally be surfacing. The California-based Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) has filed notices with the state's attorney general against potato chip manufacturers:
* Lay's potato chip maker PepsiCo Inc.
* Pringles maker Proctor & Gamble Co.
* Cape Cod potato chip parent Lance Inc.
* Kettle Chips maker Kettle Foods Inc.
... that would require them to place labels on their products warning consumers about the high levels of acrylamide found inside. Acrylamide is formed when starchy foods are baked or fried at high temperatures and is considered a cancer-causing chemical by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
Manufacturers who sell their products without such warnings are in violation of California law, California Proposition 65.
The attorney general's office has 60 days to decide to pursue the case; if the state declines, the ELF will file lawsuits against the companies.
What Do the Chip Makers Have to Say?
The reaction from the chip makers was on the defensive ... though the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) wavering position on the dangers of acrylamide certainly doesn't help.
Perhaps the FDA should review the report developed by the ELF that listed just how far various chip brands exceeded the state's required warning levels for acrylamide. The offenders include:
* Cape Cod Robust Russet: 910 times
* Kettle Chips (lightly salted): 505 times
* Kettle Chips (honey dijon): 495 times
* Pringles Snack Stacks (pizza-flavored): 170 times
* Lay's Baked: 150 times
Chew on that ...
Reuters June 17, 2005
Environmental Law Foundation June 16, 2005
Another good article: http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/june/050600acrylamide.htm