As I continue deleting various
'shoulds' from my life, I feel progressively free-er...........For example, I
am working towards achieving freedom from 'shoulds/ musts/ have to' etc in my
kitchen/dining space... My latest mantra is being in complete resonance with my
body, listening to its needs and spontaneously responding to those needs in
love, without wondering about what should I eat, when should I eat, what kind
of food is nutritious etc.
I eat, when I feel HUNGRY
and not when the clock (family) says, it's time to eat... I have understood
that when I respond to the hunger call of my body, the body can digest anything
and everything, and also extract optimum nutrients from the food....but if I
eat without being hungry, even the best of foods just rot inside my GI tract,
as the body reluctantly processes them. My cells are just like me; when I am
asked to do things that I am not really ready to do, I do
them reluctantly and the results speak for my reluctance/
resistance.
Such a simple lesson and
still it is difficult to follow.
The problem comes when I
become 'responsible' for my family members' gustatory needs, without
'being in their skin', so to say. It is well nigh impossible for me to be in
touch/ resonance with their body's hunger pangs; after all each body is unique
with unique requirements. Asking each member to eat at the same time (hunger or
no hunger) is like charging all the laptops and mobiles of the family at the
same time, whether they need to be charged or not....
What if each member of the
family (except for children below 13 and elders above 80) were responsible for
their own dietary needs; just as they are responsible for charging their own
mobiles/ laptops/ other electronic equipment? How simple would life
become!!
I have found a do-able
formula. I stock my fridge with a lot of fruits and salads (cleaned/ washed/
peeled/ diced). and then there is always some bread/ cheese/ butter/ eggs etc.
in the pantry. I cook some food by 1200 hrs; and am also available (since I am
a home bird) for any requests for special food/ nimbu-paani/ fruit-juice/ lassi
/ green tea etc.
As of now, my family
consists of just two of us (two body-mechanisms with two very different
body-clocks and food preferences) so it is rather easy for me. More the members
more complicated it can get!!! Until each one VOLUNTEERS or WILLINGLY abides by
the Freedom philosophy.....Freedom for All!!!
As for me, I am indeed
fortunate that my husband is a willing volunteer...............and he values my
freedom as much as he values his own..........:))
dear mrs jha... i am a stickler for meal timings and have forced people to eat just because it is time, i have put stuff on the table and i need to be done with the meal. I think i am going to do the kind of stocking you do.. give people the freedom to eat what and when they want. That will probably free me up too... but then what about the family time at the table?
ReplyDeleteYou have to find the balance by just sitting with others when they eat; so that no one eats alone. :)
ReplyDelete