Evolved Eating - Grow Light

"Fearless Eating"
Remember the pleasures of drippy ice-cream cones, finger licking fried chicken, pasta, pizza and potatoes? Then the carbo cops and the skinny bitches rode into town spewing studies and rules and we freaked out. Join Susan and Chef Julia Jaksic of Employees Only for a fabulous five-course tasting. Mindful Awareness, Writing and Meditation. Challenge your food fears. Experience eating EVERYTHING without the freak-out!  Contact swb@evolvedeating.com for the next "Fearless Eating" Event.
10 Traits of an Evolved Eater
  1. You, NOT on a Diet. Diets, deprivation, guilt trips and gimmicks no longer draw in an Evolved Eater. She eats every time she is hungry regardless of how much she weighs, how much weight she thinks she wants to lose, what she ate yesterday or 4 hours ago. She responds to her body's needs in "the moment." Every time she is hungry, she eats.

  2. Do you want peace or a piece of pie? An Evolved Eater (EE) knows the difference between hunger and emotion. She stops, sits, takes a breath, puts a hand on her belly and asks: "Am I hungry? Physically? Or do I want to eat because…it's time; I'm stressed, angry or sad?" With mindful awareness, an EE decodes her body's wisdom and becomes clear about her personal signals for hunger and satiation.

  3. Eat Everything. Forget about the skinny bitches and the Carbo Cops! Foods are not good or bad and you are not good or bad for wanting them. Evolved Eaters are curious, adventurous and FEARLESS! When an EE is hungry, she selects the food that really "hums" to her by asking, "Do I want something hot or cold? Salty or sweet? Crunchy or smooth?" She does not over think this—she goes with her gut! An EE does not worry—what if I just eat and eat until I ...explode? She knows that without a food cop screaming NONONO, her urge to rebel, cheat, get it while she can—diminishes and eventually goes away.

  4. Eat with your eyes closed. An EE is a Mindful Eater. She eats slowly. Chews thoroughly. Closes her eyes and tunes into the taste, textures and sensual pleasures of food. She knows it's safe to be present and enjoy. An EE is aware of the thoughts that arise while she eats. She notes them, gently, as "thinking" and then lets them go.

  5. Stay in the Moment. An EE selects the food she really wants and eats until she is comfortably satisfied. She knows that when she's (mildly) hungry again, she'll eat. She doesn't need to focus on this. She trusts and responds to the signals from her body as they arise.

  6. Trust your gut. An EE eats slowly, eats what she wants, then asks her body for feedback. Did it like the food she just ate? Did it work well in her system? After eating it, did she feel energetic, or sluggish, anxious or calm? Does a little bit of this food make her want more and more? An EE understands the difference between a fear food and a trigger food. Between a food that is healthy for someone else yet may not work well for her. An EE does NOT ask, what foods should/shouldn't I eat? But what foods are healthy for ME?

  7. You are the Master of your Domain. An EE is the world's leading expert on herself. She knows better than ANYONE how she feels inside. Mindfulness and self-acceptance skills help her to be aware of her thoughts and feelings before, during and after eating. She uses this information to create her own eating style based on internal messages and insights not external food rules or fears.

  8. Feed your other hungers. An EE builds skills and activities that make her feel peaceful, calm, and balanced. She allows time to do what she enJOYs, including sitting quietly and doing nothing. An Evolved Eater balances activity and work with restorative time. Stopping, sitting and breathing are part of her daily routine.

  9. What was I thinking? Thoughts and feelings are not facts. An EE can let her mind yap without becoming involved in the message or story. She can allow her feelings to "just be" without reacting to them by eating or restricting. She's created activities (personalized tool box) that allow her to stay balanced and calm. She might paint, knit, collage, dance, sing or use a journal to clarify her thoughts and feelings.

  10. Let go. An EE knows that overeating/under eating is not a crime and does not make her a bad person. She knows how to give herself a break. She names the thoughts and feelings that come up and then lets them go. An Evolved Eater lives in the present moment—in what is true and real NOW—this very moment! An EE has let go of worrying about what she ate an hour ago, or last night. She does not punish herself. She knows she does not have to be perfect. She sees the humor in all situations and respects where she is right now. An EE takes good care of herself in all circumstances. She keeps learning, breathing and laughing. She is Evolving!!!!