Women Food and God

Last week two or three different people told me about a book they'd just read which they thought I would like.  It's called Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to almost Everything by Geneen Roth.  In it she talks about the connection between what we eat and who we are.  She suggests that if we take the time to feel our feelings, we won't need to stuff them down our throats in the form of food.  Her writing is clear, succinct, compassionate and at times humorous.

She has come up with something she calls The Eating Guidelines:

1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment.
     This does not include the car.
3. Eat without distractions.  Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-     producing conversations or music.
4. Eat what your body wants.
5. Eat until you are satisfied.
6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure.

I find the guidelines to be profoundly simple and wise and logical - and difficult to follow.  One of my favorite things to do is to have my meal in front of me and to eat it while I read.  And I can see how that leads me to eat more than I would otherwise.  I have a friend who eats more in order to be able to read longer!  Yikes!

Eating when I'm hungry and until I'm satisfied is not always easy either.  Sometimes my schedule doesn't allow it.  Sometimes I like the food enough that I want to finish it.  Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't leave something on my plate.  Geneen Roth addresses each of these excuses and more.

I recommend this book highly if you want to explore the connection between food and creativity and feelings and God.  Powerful stuff!