Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

Gluttony -- A Way OUT
“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
— unless there are three other people present, of course.” ~ Orson Welles
First & foremost, for those of you who have recognized that you are at least subtly
addicted to food, it is very important to remind yourself regularly just why you are
disengaging from this addiction (or any addiction, for that matter). If you are doing so
solely for your own benefit – solely for your own “better health” or to become “more
attractive” or to “have more energy”, then your battle will never be truly effective.
Anything done for self is essentially a fear-based choice. And as every addictive behavior
is also founded in fear, chasing away an addiction primarily for personal benefit will
actually feed the very fear that caused the addiction to surface in the first place.
As such, to effectively vanquish any addiction, your motives must harmonize with an
intention that flows counter to your yearning – and such an intention must always in
some way be selfless (a.k.a. Kind, Caring or Loving).
That having been said, let’s look at some of the practical methods to make releasing your
eating addiction a smoother journey …
TIP #01 – FEED ANOTHER
One of the best ways to tap into the very real psychological dynamic mentioned in the
previous few paragraphs is to wait until you are deeply desirous of a meal, and then to go
and give food to those in need while you are hungry yourself. This is a radical maneuver,
to be sure, and you are going to have to be extra consoling to your ego to get it to allow
you to do this, and yet if you can muster the Strength to Give away food when you most
want to eat it yourself, your addiction will not stand a chance.
TIP #02 – EAT SMART (& AVOID DIETING)
The evidence shows that 98% of dieters regain the weight they lost within 5 years of
dieting. In addition, dieting depletes muscle mass, entrenches feelings of guilt and shame
related to eating (which strengthens the addiction that inspired the diet in the first place),
and slows one’s metabolism — making it much easier to gain weight (and much more
difficult to lose it) in the future.
The human body actually functions best when harmonizing with the fundamental
rhythms of its surroundings, and this applies as much to your diet as it does to any other
daily decisions. Start each day with a moderate breakfast, and if possible always start
with a bit of fruit. Avoid eating any sweeteners during that first meal and make sure
there is a noticeable break between eating your fruit and any other food that might follow.
During the day, eat moderately at regular intervals, being sure to occasionally include
some form of non-meat protein (nuts, seeds, legumes, avocados, spirulina, etc.). And
finally, remember to eat light & healthy in the evening, preferably nothing after sundown,
and certainly nothing a few hours before going to bed.
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