The amount of happiness that you have depends on the amount of freedom you have in your heart
~~~Thich Nhat Hanh
Yesterday I had a fascinating conversation with some friends about the relationship we have with our bodies. The new year of 2012 inspired many of us to make an effort to lose weight, and unfortunately many of us will fail.
There is a very legitimate reason for this and has nothing to do with your willpower or self-discipline.
You are setting yourself up for failure because you are missing one crucial piece of the pie and it is called your body history.
Like any history, it doesn't tell us the answers to our questions, but it helps to inform us so we might make better decisions in the future.
Start by sitting down with a pen and paper, and do a rundown of your body and weight history by age. Ask yourself a lot of questions like..
What lessons did your parents teach you about your body or food? Think about how your family viewed your body.
Did your Mom encourage healthy eating or was thinness highly prized? Were comments made about your body by your parents or siblings? Did your mom or dad yo-yo diet? What about your peers? Boyfriends? Spouse?
Here is an example of my body history that I carried throughout my life:
My Childhood:
Healthy weight but extremely small and thin. I associated my thinness with being unfeminine which led me to consume lots of weight gaining drinks.
I learned quickly that weight gaining drinks do not help you grow breasts.
I remember stuffing my “bullet bra” in my early teen days and had to stop going in the ocean in the summer because the stuffing in my bathing suit might get wet and fall out.
I did a lot of gymnastics in junior high school and genuinely enjoyed it.
I remember once being teased about my muscular arms by a boy I liked, and I immediately quit the gymnastics team.
I was only twelve but I was already forming an unhealthy relationship with my body. I feel such compassion for that little girl now because, looking back at photos of my teen years reminds me of how wrong I was about my body image. I should have taken pride in it.
Obesity, anorexia and bulimia aren't about food. They're about using food to cope with painful emotions.
Connecting the dots of our food and body history can be extremely enlightening and can empower us to make better choices about food.
You may discover that there is a reason you don't treat your body kindly. Knowing that reason could be the key to freeing yourself from the past, and knowing your past can influence your future.
After you are done with your body timeline, practice releasing all your food regrets. When you start revisiting the past, pull yourself into the moment and vent.
Let yourself feel all the pain, guilt, shame you might feel about your body and eating habits. Letting go opens you up to new possibilities and the power to change.
Next, work on forgiving yourself, and don't worry about the past. Focus on the present. Now that you have examined the why – the now is full of new opportunities.
For me, taking an intimate look at my patterns with my body and food was extremely enlightening and empowered me to make better choices. I now look back at that thirteen-year-old girl, who thought she looked like a boy with love, compassion and understanding. Also, with a sense of humor. Vegan Day 257 – Wish me luck
On to food: I tried this recipe from a cookbook called “The Conscious Cook” by Tal Ronnen. Of course, I changed it up some but I was surprised how easy it was and yummy. I added tofu for protein but you could stuff the dumplings with anything you enjoy. The wonton skins were surprisingly easy to use and stuff.
Lemongrass Consomme' with Mushroom
& Tofu Dumplings
- sea salt
- 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- ½ lime zest
- 2 small dried red chiles
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 quarts vegetable stock
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- Sea Salt
- 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- ¾ pound mushrooms, minced
- 2-4 ounces firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger
- 1½ tsp finely chopped chives
- 6 basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 12 round wonton skins
- 2 small Bok Choy, chopped (optional)
- Make the consomme: Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add 1 tsp salt and all of the remaining ingredients except for the sugar and stock and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Make the dumplings: Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid. Add the ginger, chives, basil, tofu and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and saute for another 1 to 1 minutes, until all the ingredients are combines and tender. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
- Lay the wonton skins out on a clean, dry work surface. Put a small spoonful of the filling in the center of each. Using your finger or a brush, da a bit of water around the edges of each wonton. Fold the wontons over the filling to create half-moons. Crimp the edges with your fingers, gathering them in little pinches. Pour the consomme through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and return to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the dumplings (and bok choy if using) and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with the sliced scallions and/or thin slices of red habanero peppers.
- with 2 tbsp thinly sliced scallions
