What is Intuitive Eating?

I have been an emotional eater for many years, and I gained 30 pounds in the last 4 years. I just finished a 6-week group discussion series on Intuitive Eating while we read about the 10 principles in the book by by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. I was a bit triggered in the beginning when they encouraged us to eat anything we wanted, whenever we wanted. But then we went into the value of being kind to ourselves in all the ways that means including eating what you actually are craving. Then we learned to check in with our bodies a lot more, notice hunger in the moment and honor the hunger with food. I realized I was restricting in the mornings and didn't even realize it. So I added breakfast to my day. I began to tune in to my body more and what it needed in general. I began moving more. Slowly I eventually have reduced my emotional eating. It is easier for me to stop after eating 6 candy corn. I live with my mother, and she NEEDS her sweets, so here they are. My aim is to keep checking in with my body, and do no harsh self-talk. If I eat too much and feel physically bad from over eating, I know it's just a moment and doesn't define anything about me.

 
So Intuitive Eating starts with a radical disposing of any diet culture or restrictive eating thoughts for the purpose of losing weight. The research shows that as we restrict calories, porrtions, food classes, food types, we subconsciously send messages that we have scarcity, and we will overeat in someway at some point. So while we are in the first phase of abandoning all weight loss strategies or desires for a different body, we learn to NOTICE hints of hunger and honor them right away. Then we start noticing how our body feels before during and after eating. This is the interoception. Then we start noticing when we want to eat when not hungry. How is the body feeling? What are the emotions? We start speaking to ourselves internally with kindness. We empathize for our needs around food hat might be comfort, company, the security of fullness, etc. Other strategies for healty relationship with food involve making nice-looking food, and eating without distraction. And to do mindful eating. Noticing tastes, visuals, sensations of having eaten in our body. Checking for satisfaction (did we enjoy it?). Checking for fullness. Learn ways to soothe yourself. Have healthy self-talk about your body. Appreciate all it does for you! And move. Move your body to feel good, not to burn calories. Take a beatuful walk in nature. Stretch to feel the relief in the muscles. Dance if that's what feels good! And then the LAST thing to attend to in Intuitive Eating is "gentle nutrition." It is a winding road, not a straight one, but requires kind self-attention.

So far, I feel more self-caring, with less hankering for snacking and feeling full. At night, I snack a bit, and sometimes have too much at a meal. But I am noticing changes toward myself that feel very good!

Maine Magic @ Madeleine Point

One evening when visiting my friend Beth Ashley in Yarmouth, Maine, we went to this place near sunset time... there was a bench looking over this little place that had a tiny beach of flat dark gray rocks, a big rock that a couple was sitting on, a short dock out after a bridge with two 16 year old boys in swimsuits, talking, diving in the water. 

1st Two Boys of Eternal Summer: we sat on the bench and just enjoyed the view... the beach, rock, water, dock, boats, sun reflecting... watching the boys talking and playing in the water... we had planned to go to the dock, but I didn’t want to disturb them just yet... I enjoyed their eternal-kind-of-summer silhouettes, 2 boys bonded in age and experience of the special summer in this special place.  

2nd, Big Rock: we noticed the couple on the big rock... hanging out with some drinks and towels, watching the sunset... this is a place people come to watch the sunset... 

3rd,All Perfect Rocks: we walked down to the beachy area after they left, and checked out the big rock... then I sat on the beach made of little flat dark gray rocks.... all the same! I started skipping rocks. Beth was amazed! I skipped more rocks, and Beth was so impressed! Some were skipping 12 times or more. I said every rock on this beach is a perfect skipping rock! She wondered where the couple went... the towels were left there... A house was nearby, and we thought what a wonderful summer they had signed up for.  

4th, The Monthly Swimmer: a young man about 17 came onto the little beach and took his shorts off to get into the water. Friendly Beth made a comment about the water. The two boys were still hanging out on the dock chatting a lot and swimming once in a while for 20 seconds at a time. The water was cold. We found out this young man had made a commitment last summer to enter the water at least one time a month regardless of the temperature. Beth learned that he had indeed succeeded at his quest. We were impressed. He swam easily, slowly out, got near the dock and the boys recognized him. Nice hellos.... he returned. More chatting. I said don’t wait a month for your next swim! Oh no, I won’t. So cute, people are....  

6th, The European Dog Lady: I headed toward the bridgewalk that would go to the dock. Beth saw a woman approaching that had a little dog, and she was going to talk to her first... I went on to see down into the water from the bridgewalk. Two pre-teen girls were looking down near the rocks, seeing a crab. I searched for a crab.... just gorgeous seaweed in the clear water. Beth was enjoying a chat with the woman who was not American. She could tell because the woman was not so open to chatting right away as most Americans would be around here, haha, but of course she warmed up to Beth, whose heart is so open to connection and finding common joy with others.

 7th, The Jumping Boy: A boy was climbing over the railing to do a jump. His mom was below swimming in the water. She was encouraging him. Beth snapped 2 pictures as he released his hold. She was excited about the great picture she took, and yelled down to the mom that she needed her digits to text her these photos. The mom, swimming along thanked her and yelled her cell phone # back. Beth texted them to her, exclaiming that they were such great pictures. A few minutes later, the woman having gotten out of the water and reached her phone was praising the photos and thanking Beth with smiles. Beth's enthusiasm for a mom to get the moment of her son was returned. 

 8th, The Lobster Catch: We were on the dock, finally, and I heard the chugging sound of a lobster boat... the sound was getting closer. I said, “Beth, I think the lobster boat is coming here!” I was excited to see working lobster boat people and their catch, perhaps. A couple of young men had come to the dock with fishing gear, poles and tackle boxes. The lobster boat did swing up beside the dock. I spotted someone transferring live lobsters from the hold to a crate! A man about 40 years old and two teens were the crew. I asked Beth, “Do you think he would sell us a lobster?!” “I can ask him.” So she went over and asked... He said, “sure” and then hemmed and hawed about the price... “How about $7?” Wow that is cheap, I thought, so offered, “Would you take $15 for 2?” I smiled... I said, “I am bargaining up,” I offered, glancing with a smile towards the 2 fishing boys who were a few feet away enjoying this exchange with their own smiles. The Lobsterman handed Beth 2 lobsters that were 1.5 to 2 pounds each. Beth held them up as the trophies they were, with her life-winning smile with the sun setting behind, and the lobsterfolk continuing their travail... We each carried our lethargic lobsters back to teh car, and tossed them into the hatch. We went back to her house, and heated up a big pot of boiling water to cook one at a time... She was willing to do the dunking. I had a change of heart, sad to be killing them personally! She insisted I eat the first one as soon as it was done, so I ate it with melted butter after she shelled it for me! 

Kintsugi

 Kintsugi is a way of mending broken pottery in Japan with lacquer dusted with gold or silver powder. It is recognizing, allowing, acknowledging and celebrating a crack or what might be seen as a flaw, but is an imperfection that joins all humanity... we are all imperfect which is part of what MAKES us human. I believe we are in this human life to grow and expand which requires some kinks along the way, and maybe even some suffering... so our suffering can be purposeful, which is encouraging and reminds me to be with suffering so that it is not wasted. It contributes to my heart's expansion and compassion. 

One nice excerpt from this article:

Today, extremely strong and barely visible epoxies and other repair compounds exist – but none add value to the pottery the way kintsugi does. If the perfect repair is done and the pottery looks as good as new. That is well and good, but it is also no better than a brand new mass produced item.

Again, same for humans. With age comes experience. With failures comes wisdom. Instead of hankering for a clean slate, forever wishing to take back one’s old mistakes, grasping for something different, we should instead highlight ourselves, flaws and all in large bold gold letters and become more beautiful for it.

In doing so, by practicing the philosophy that kintsugi so perfectly encapsulates, we find that ourselves and our lives suffice and is innately wonderful.

Helping Asian Elephants with Kinetic Sculpture Bike

In 2015, when living in Gainesville, Florida, I was "between jobs" and volunteered for CIFAE which was a local nonprofit dedicated to conserving Asian Elephants. We were preparing to host an elephant march in Gainesville, and I knew of a talented artist cyclist who made moving sculptures with bike underpinnings. Raymond Rawls was known in town for creating imaginative kinetic sculptures on bikes, and having them in the local parades. He is an amazing designer, so I approached him about making a kinetic elephant sculpture and he was up for it! 

So in May 2015, I created a FaceBook page to track the progress and implementation of the kinetic sculpture to benefit Asian Elephant conservation efforts. Here are some posts and media from the page which has been deleted due to lack of use by the folks of CIFAE after I was no longer volunteering there. 

I went to Raymond's studio in a garage where he had all his raw materials, and he showed his initial concept to me and Ron Chandler, the CIFAE president:

Raymond is a serious sculptor and studies his subject in detail to create a realistic portrayal.

Raymond is very community oriented. He recruited local folks to come paste paper on the skeleton after he got her formed, and provided pizza to everyone! 

"Raymond Rawls' photo from today! He is finishing up the cardboard shaping of the elephant bike for CIFAE (Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant). The next step is papering. They will be working on that on Saturday, August 29th, 2015 (5-8pm) at 210 NW 10th Ave. Volunteers are welcome to stop by to help. (includes refreshments and pizzas!)."

After it was finished it would be revealed at the CIFAE Gala event in downtown Gainesville!

"Save the date for Sept 12, 2015 fundraiser with amazing Indian arts, music and food at The Wooly, to raise awareness of the lives and challenges of Asian Elephants. Activities for kids! See the almost finished Elephant Sculpture Bike. See event and get your advance tickets here to raise funds for Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant!

https://www.facebook.com/events/437965743042117/"

Look how she walks! She is almost finished! She rides like an elephant, and has a bendy trunk, and moving legs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98A2YXIg8ok

I designed this flyer and helped organize the first gala:





Here she was, finished before the public reveal, with Jacob gleefully touring her wonder.





Here is another angle of the beautiful girl.
"She's finished. Thank you Lorraine Duerden for the great work on the eyes!"

In October, she was part of the global Elephant March being in the local event in Gainesville.

And she rolled in the November 2015 Homecoming parade!

In 2017 they had their 3rd annual march!




For more kinetic sculpture activity with Raymond, see his page https://www.facebook.com/MenagerieInMotion/

Menagerie In Motion



Nonprofit organization

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