Stepping into Philosophy

 As I’ve been shedding more awareness on the choices I make around food and the thoughts that I attach or don’t attach to in relationship to this realm, one thing has become clear: If I/we really want to cultivate a wholesome and conscious relationship with food, at some point we need to reassess the lens we’re looking through and question if our perception supports this kind of development. Coming to understand food and our relationship to it is one thing, but transforming this knowledge into a living expression is slightly different. Why? Because it literally is a new posture that we develop through transforming our own self. It’s alchemy really; where we take our knowledge and values and infuse them into our being in such a way that we literally redefine our sense of self, which in turn alters how we relate to life in a very tangible way.

As I’ve been exploring how to obtain this “new posture” and what it means, it’s become clear that this sort of transformation is outside the boundaries of the mind. We can think of it as relating to food (or life for that matter) from two different perspectives. One, the dimension of the mind, is where we collect knowledge and facts, analyze and assess what is true and what isn’t. From this perspective we can accumulate a lot but it doesn’t necessarily mean we do anything with this information. As we enter into the other perspective, a more philosophical position if you will, we see that we can take those nuggets of knowledge, and the values they promote, and apply them to our own sense of self. Here we realize that we are conscious creators not only of material things but of our own being. We find from this perspective the truth in the saying “you are what you eat.” And just as the common metal is transformed into gold and silver we begin to see that life has inherent meaning, significance and purpose to it, and that we are all a part of a greater living universe. When we come to know this from our own depths, our own interiority, we can freely embrace all facets of life and all levels of development, giving us the capacity to give more, to make more conscious choices and to become a living expression of something much deeper.

I realize this is pushing the edge a bit here as we aren’t really use to thinking about our relationship to food so deeply, but if you stick with me just a bit I think you’ll see what I mean. Let’s take a real life example to help clarify these different perspectives. As well as being the co-creator of EFE I am also an acupuncture student. For a prerequisite I took a course on nutrition. It was a two day course packed solid with lectures on the scientific breakdown of foods and their bio-chemical-nutrient components. As I started the course I, as were my fellow students, were completely excited to learn more about food. And boy did we! We gained a lot of knowledge over the course of the weekend. However, when class came to a close I noticed that something in my classmates and I had shifted. It seemed we all went from excitement to paranoid in 2 days flat. I went from being from being adventurous and creative with my eats to being frustrated with all the “nutritionism dogma.” What had happened? Obviously we need to retain the scientific knowledge of food, but at the same time I have seen far too many people suffer from food induced paranoia and actually wreck their health as they try to follow the “nutritional” diet.

So where does this leave us? Our culture is predominately embedded in a reductionist mentality when it comes to our food and health. Meaning, we still take things and break them down to their tiniest components rather than looking at the whole picture. Of course this is certainly valuable. For example, if we didn’t have this approach we wouldn’t know that certain combinations of vitamins and minerals in our system can actually block our absorption of other nutrients, not to mention we would be a lot more clueless when it comes to knowing anything our biochemistry. Yes, the reductionist model does hold it’s worth from one undeniable perspective. However, we can see that from this perspective we can easily get lost in the nitty-gritty and forget that from there we’re only seeing one tiny part of a whole. Clearly we need both perspectives.

So what does that look like? For me it looks like bringing in the educational component into a bigger perspective in a way that complements and enriches my experience with food and life. Meaning, I learn about the basics of food but I don’t obsess about it. I’m more interested in having a wholesome, flourishing relationship with food and life than sticking to a specific diet or “nutritional lab-tested recipe.” I am more interested in eating in a way that promotes my whole being from biology to consciousness. I’ve found that if I stand in this position everything naturally falls in line; from education, to choosing foods and recipes, to preparing nourishing meals, to the table, all the way up and out to self and cultural development. There is an ease and self-refueling positivity that emerges when our appetite is satisfied with not only good, wholesome foods, but development on all levels of our being, be it inner and outer.

Straight ahead,
Amber

Jalapeño “Cheese” Macaroni Bake

I think most all of us crave carbohydrates more in the cold, still of winter. This isn’t necessarily a problem, and in fact, if done right, carbohydrates actually help boost our “feel good” neurotransmitter levels and can lead a to greater state of seasonal balance.

This is a simply delicious “comfort food” recipe that makes use of nutrient rich ingredients to add flavor rather than depending on dairy. If you can tolerate dairy, feel free to add some quality Parmesan on top, but it is just as good without! And its ready in less than 30 minutes!

 Serves 4
Preparation time 5 min
Cook time 20 min

 8 ounces gluten free Penne or Macaroni pasta (typically ½ a bag)
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
½ cup pistachio nut pieces
¼ a raw jalapeño (use more or less depending on your “spicy” tolerance)
2 tablespoons gluten free Brewers Yeast
¼ of a bunch of Italian Parsley, stems and all
Pinch of black pepper
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper

 Preheat oven to 425

(Topped with Parmesan cheese)

Cook pasta about 2 to 3 minutes LESS than directed.

Rinse will cool water, place in a large mixing bowl and pour olive oil on top. Mix to coat so that pasta does not stick together.

Combine nuts, jalapeño, Yeast, black pepper and parsley into a food processor. Mix with regular blade until finely ground. 

Combine contents from food processor, with pasta, green onion and bell pepper. Mix to combine ingredients.

Transfer this mixture to and 8X5-baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Please leave us some comments on how this recipes turned out for you!

How to Repair your Sweet Tooth

Megan Grooves of Core Nutrition and Health and partner creator of the ABC’s of Gluten Free  wrote this excellent blog about how to over come your sweet tooth.  We’re thrilled to host this blog and encourage you to also check out Megan’s site for more helpful tips, guidance and inspiration!

How I Repaired My Sweet Tooth

By Megan Groves
The traditional ways to avoid overeating sweets create the having to avoid the overeating of sweets.

Empty your house of them. Give away your leftover Halloween candy. Hide the Christmas chocolates. Keep the cookies in a shoebox on the top shelf of the closet, and place the stepstool in the opposite side of the room.

For some, this may be successful.

Frankly I always found these tactics fanned the flames of desire.

What you can’t have you want more of, right? Just think of dating psychology for a moment and my point is proven.

Anyhow, I worked through many of my food addictions in the past, but I was still hooked on something very very powerful. Dark. Chocolate.

Here’s how I overcame my daily obsession.  

But first a back story: I was always the kind of kid who, after being told not to open the door, headed straight for the handle the moment the adults left.

So naturally when I tried to wean myself off chocolate by hiding it, I’d go through the effort to unbury and devour it before my rival rationale could enter. Not to mention I always remembered exactly where I hid it! We really can’t fool ourselves for long.

So that’s when it occurred to me: rather than caving into temptation of the forbidden fruit, I should let it not be forbidden.

I began leaving squares of dark chocolate with cacao nibs and minty chocolate bunny heads and organic Mayan spice bars on the counter, in the fridge, next to the tea in the cupboard, even next to my work computer. It was all I saw. In the morning when I got of bed, I spotted chocolate before I could even make it to the bathroom to brush my teeth.  

Did I eat dark chocolate first thing in the morning? Yes.

Did I snack on it mindlessly while at my desk? Of course I did.

But I wasn’t breaking my will.

Eventually two really powerful things emerged:

1) Chocolate became mundane.

My craving for it was no longer a yearning for novelty.

2) It began to teach me true discipline.

At some point when we can see our temptation in plain light, it ceases to become so dazzling. At some point eating so damn much dark chocolate was, well, sickening.

True discipline wasn’t about saying no, it was about understanding consequences.

When I work with my clients, there are plenty of ways to use the right food and diet to permanently and effectively eliminate sweets cravings. But on top of those methods, uncovering some of the driving forces and increasing awareness is just as powerful a tactic.

And both these roads lead to long term success, rather than sneaky antics or sheer force, and the sweet tooth is healthily repaired.

Eating for Sensitivity the New Year Plan

Why do you eat what you eat?  This question crosses my mind often… especially as I find myself wandering into the kitchen, pulling out the almond butter and snacking straight from jar.  :)  Why is it I’m drawn, conscious or not, to certain foods, even when I know they aren’t the best choice?  My contemplations have uncovered the top 4 reasons or motivating factors behind our choices of what to eat. Ready for the count down… drum roll please…..
1.       Our taste buds are like trained little umpa lumpas.  Deeply conditioned and lovers of habit.  As routine as the thoughts that we habitually identify ourselves with, our taste buds, if given the chance are just as predictable.

2.      To look good.  Let’s face it, particularly for women our desire to been seen as beautiful definitely has some weight in our food choices.

3.      Health.  Many people are becoming more in tuned with health, more aware of food allergies and sensitivities and are choosing to eat foods that promote physical wellness.

4.  Balance.  Our bodies naturally crave foods in attempt to balance out our energetics.  Because of this natural inclination it is important to listen to our bodies, but it’s only as effective as our ability to discern our wholesome cravings from our self sabotaging ones.

Does something seem wrong to you about this list?  At first glance it seems right on, like these are valid reasons and certainly relatable truths as to why we eat what we eat, but they seem to lack depth don’t you think?  I mean, from a relative perspective it makes sense that we are creatures of habit, that we’re addicted to our own self image and health.  But really, where are those concerns going to take us?  The same place they’ve been taking us for the past several decades, nowhere!  I mean not really.  Sure we’ve come a long way in understanding how food affects our body, and while there will always be more to learn in that department, how does it really help us take the next quantum leap in our development?  Where our attention is, is where we end up going. When we focus on the bio-medical, health and self conscious, habitual way of eating, our attention is looking inward to our seemingly never ending microscopic functioning’s of ourselves and life.  But if we never take the time to direct our attention the other way, outward to those around us, to our city, our country, the world and even to the interior and exterior of the Kosmos, then what good is knowing the minute functions of the body really going to do us?
 
So, consider this.  What if the top reason for eating was Sensitivity?  By sensitivity I don’t mean food allergies, I mean eating for the purpose of increasing our perception.  For raising our capacity for deeper levels of awareness.  What if we choose to eat for Spirit, for consciousness, for the purpose of increasing our ability to Give and be present?  Don’t you think that would flip everything around?  Our attention would be simultaneously looking inward and outward.  Inward because we would be more conscious about the foods that we did choose to eat, knowing how they would affect us physically, psychologically, emotionally, energetically, and spiritually.  We would choose to eat them because we would intuit the need for them, and know that  their virtues would become one with our virtues.  
 
I know this sounds abstract at first.  But I urge you to give it some thought, and not only that, try it out, after all we are talking about food!  Set a goal for a week of Sensitive eating. Increase your live foods such as sauerkraut, or other cultured veggies, and raw or lightly cooked veggies.  Consciously leave out foods that are heavy and harder to digest, like sugary foods, animal products and dairy.  Choose foods because they look and feel energetically vibrant to you.  Pay attention to what you eat and how it influences you.  And remember, it isn’t about reaching a specific end as much as it is about the process itself.  The motive for eating Sensitively is pure.  While the goal is to increase our capacity for consciousness, it isn’t a goal that can never be reached as an end point.  Rather it becomes actualized in the moment, and every moment, that we  make the conscious choice to eat in this way.
 
Striving for a more wholesome  relationship to food and life is not something we have to do alone.  In fact we’ve found it to be much more profound when people with these shared intentions come together, which is exactly what the Eating for Evolution community is dedicated to. We hope to see you there!
 
Eyes on the horizon,
Amber

Top 5 Reasons Why Diets Don’t Work!

Its Jan 3rd 2010. Holy cow! I was out and about today and every place that I went had “diet” stuff front and center. Even as I sit here typing I hear the commercials in the background (as my husband watches Lord of the Rings re-run on TV) broadcasting the newest, best, bestest, most wonderful, sure to work, just like a miracle, can’t believe what you see, weight loss specials, sure to take willing payers to new heights of slimdom (invented word). Hence the inspiration for this post.

And I want you to know, this is not based in cynicism. It comes from professional experience rooted in over 15 years in the health and holistic medicine field, as well as personal struggles with food addiction and weight. I have been on the front lines, right in the nitty gritty of patient’s and client’s wants, needs, desires; seeing what works and what does not.

If you are at least 30 years old you know… Diets don’t work! I treat plenty of teenagers that even know this fully. Let us expose what we already know to be true…

1. They aren’t sustainable. Diets have a beginning and an end. That means they work for a while, but there is always an end, and that is when they fail.

Solution: I am pretty sure you have heard this before, but lifestyle changes are what create phenomenal and lasting results. Make changes that are rooted in what you know to be true. Ones that are based in something beyond the superficiality of looks alone. You will be amazed at the payoff!

2. They lack integrity. Integrity means action which moves us towards greater states of integration and wholeness. Most diets are fad based; they come and go like the wind and are completely imbalanced, lacking integrity. High carb/low-fat, Low carb/high protein, the cabbage diet, the lemonade fast, the eat one day and not the next diet, the eat what you want and exercise like a mad person until you burn ___ calories diet.  Fad diets always fail at some point, and its your health that pays the price.

Solution: Do the right thing. Take responsibility for your choices. At this point in time, most of us know deep down what is really needed in order to lose weight (and have it be a lasting affair) are practices and choices rooted in integrity. This is not that complicated and we don’t necessarily need to hire someone to tell us what to eat. Everyone knows these basic guidelines:

• Eat mostly veggies with some fruits. This is a Nutrient Rich way of living and it makes so much sense! There is a great interview on our Eating For Evolution Community site about eating Nutrient Rich
• Greatly limit refined flour and sugar products. They contain drug like substances that make them very addictive and wreak havoc on the body. They break down every system in the body over time… And make you fat!
• Decrease animal products. If you are following #1 above then this naturally happens. Eating less animal product is hands down one of the healthiest things that you can do for your body and for the environment.

3. They are based on deprivation. If the diet you are on is focused on depriving you of something that you really love, it is only a matter of time before you binge. I know we can all exercise incredible self-control for a while, but if we’re doing it based on some “external” force telling us what to do, the rebel inside will unleash eventually.

Now with this said, there are medical reasons why some people should absolutely abstain because someone else told them to. For example: I have celiac disease and I need to not eat gluten, ever, or my health pays for it. Diabetics, don’t eat sugar. In both of these cases certain foods can be like poison.

Solution: Take inventory of what your goals and values are in this life. And then look honestly at your actions… Including what you eat. Then ask the question: “Does what I am choosing to eat support my goals and values?” Identify yourself as the “Chooser,” and then you can no longer play the game of victim. There is no one “out there” to rebel against… It’s just you making choices that support either life or death in every moment. Then you start to see that what you once thought of as deprivation, may actually just a choice for life! What a gift!

4. They are based on the “miracle” quick fix. This does not exist. It’s a fact.

Solution: Consistency over time. Almost everything that is beautiful, stunning, and fantastic has been created and formed over time. Healthy and beautiful bodies and minds are no exception. It’s all the little things that we do over time that add up to create destruction or vitality. Cultivating health is a trajectory not a final destination point. We have a chance to learn and grow bit by bit every day. Putting into practice what we know to be the best for us at that time is that we can hope for. Tomorrow may bring new news. I do know that a way of eating based in the principles listed above is a time-tested, and cross culturally honored as the most healthful and holistic way to eat for ourselves and the planet.

5. They are most often rooted in superficial and “personal” desires. This may not sound so bad a first. And indeed having a motivation to lose weight, say to look stunning at your 20 year class reunion, can be a good thing to get your butt motivated right? Yes and no. “Yes” that it is good to get moving, “No” in the sense that not all motivations are not created equal. superficial motivations only take us so far.

Solution: We need to evolve our motivations. Our culture (which is the collective “us” and all that we have agreed on over time) puts huge emphasis on the “exterior.” This is particularly true for women although it is becoming more and more that way amongst younger men. Our motivations almost always start off rather superficial with weight loss… This “is what it is” so to speak. But we need to consciously direct our attention to deeper reasons for doing the right thing. This is where we are at, collectively, in the developmental process. It’s not just about you and the way that you look, or about me and the way I look anymore. Our current global crisis calls for us to look deeply and holistically at all of our choices and actions. What I/you do is not separate from all of life. In other words what you choose to do, could never “just affect you.”

This is why we have created the Eating For Evolution Community!

1. To facilitate evolution and awareness in regards to our food choices
2. To help folks with food sensitivities to discover a whole new way of eating and relating to food
3. To create a movement in culture based on what and how we eat

Here’s to sustained forward movement rooted in depth and integrity! The weight loss becomes a given

Tif

Conscious Evolution

I have been working with food since I was old enough to stand up and stick my fingers in Mom’s cooking. I had an experience of deep knowing at 8 years old that my Purpose here was to cook good food and help nourish people.

That realization was interpreted through the mind of an 8 year old. It has been incredible to watch my interpretation of that “knowing” evolve. The Eating For Evolution Community was ultimately born out of that very early insight!

The deep sense of Purpose that filled me then was/is actually not separate from the very impulse that we each experience as the heart level compulsion to create a better future, a better world.

It’s easy to lose our way, or experience the feeling of lack of purpose. We live in a world that is more connected technologically that it has ever been, and yet many people have the experience of isolation and separation.

I can think of no way better to instantly “reconnect” to the unity of life than choosing to prepare and eat wholesome and simple foods. This is a very literal, cellular, and no doubt spiritual way to unite all of life.

And what is absolutely incredible about choosing to eat well, for the right reasons, is that it actually opens portals inside for evolution itself! Simple, wholesome and delicious food can help create and sustain the very clarity that we need in order to build a better

I am thrilled to bring you this cutting edge interview with Megan Cater called “Conscious Evolution.”  This interview dives into the inspiring recognition that we are all a part of The Evolutionary Process; this process is purposeful and we are responsible for continuing to take it forward. Right now we’re at the crux… a transition point, and a conscious effort has to be made in order to take the next developmental step. The time is now, and we are the ones we’we’ve been waiting for! Click here to find out more

Warmly,

Tiffany

A Revolution in Consciousness

When it comes to evolution and revolution all boundaries dissolve.  There is no “us versus them,” or “in compared to out.”  Seeing through evolutionary eyes is recognizing that even though there may appear to be separations, ultimately everything is just a part of the big One.   When we recognize that at any given moment there is really only one thing happening, only one thing going on, we can begin to see through the boundaries created by our minds, by our egos.  And when we experience and deeply acknowledge this to be Truth we can see that evolution and revolution go hand in and hand, and we realize that revolution could never really be a personal matter.  Instead we can see that revolution describes the process of consciousness evolving.

With this being said, we’re thrilled to give you a taste of what else is percolating in the outer reaches of culture.  Below you’ll find a post by our friends at Hungry for Revolution….

What does the food revolution have to do with 2012? Well, it all boils down to one sentence, “The world we have created is not sustainable.” This is the first sentence of a revolutionary new book by Ervin Laszlo entitled, WorldShift 2012: Making Green Business, New Politics, and Higher Consciousness Work Together.

Laszlo is the founder and president of The Club of Budapest, a think tank with honorary members such as Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, as well as politicians, artists, scientists, musicians, economists, spiritual leaders—the list is impressive. WorldShift 2012 is introduced as The Club of Budapest’s “Handbook of Conscious Change,” and this is in fact how the book reads, as a handbook. It is short and to the point, stuffed full of information, part politics, part philosophy, part science, part spirituality—like the Club itself.

The handbook defines a WorldShift as “a worldwide shift from a path of unsustainability, conflict, and confrontation to a path toward sustainability, well-being, and peace.” Laszlo describes in great detail what this shift will look like, why it needs to come about, and what it will take to cause it. Part of this is shifting “from living on the shoulders of nature to being a harmonious part of the ecosystem” (44). This is what Hungry for a Revolution is all about. So many essential elements of our lives right now are in blatant conflict with nature, and this is causing many unnatural consequences, among these global warming, poverty, and growing health epidemics.

WorldShift 2012 acknowledges the overwhelming problems our world is facing and presents us with the possibility of a complete shift in the world as we know it. In the foreword by Deepak Chopra, he states, “We are already living in two worlds. One world moves ahead by inertia from the past, like a massive luxury liner drifting at sea, while the other steps into the unknown, like a child entering the woods for the first time” (ix). This is the revolution we seek, and apparently it is a revolution in consciousness.

WorldShift 2012 is available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com.

Check out the website and consider signing the WorldShift Declaration.

Naturally yours,
the food patriot

Dining with the Kosmos

 Kos•mic adj.:
Of or relating to the Kosmos—the multidimensional evolving Totality of existence, encompassing not only the physical but the biological, emotional, mental, psychic, and spiritual domains.

 It is truly my pleasure to share with you this interview with thought leader Megan Cater and Eating for Evolution’s creator Tiffany Pollard.  In this discussion Meg & Tif explore deep time from the Kosmocentric perspective. You’ll be pulled into the edge of your own understanding of what it means to be a human being alive right now!

Consider that our choices (including food choices) are a reflection of our values, and our values come from how deeply we have thought about life, and to what degree we act upon what we’ve seen. Join them on this truly alive and thought provoking journey.

This incredible interview is free to all members for a limited time, so sign up for a FREE account to access it now while it’s available!

 Click here to listen now!

 

From Survive to Thrive

I’ll bet you are very busy; life is probably pretty full.  There is not much time for creating delicious and healthful meals that nourish you to your core.  Who has time for that?! Most of us are eating on the go.  And if you are reading this I imagine that you care with some depth about what you eat and the impact that it has on the world.  You may be busy, but you’re relatively selective, eating mostly or all organic, and regional when possible.  Maybe you eat at the better restaurants that use quality ingredients, and you buy the whole food or raw energy bars that are easier to find nowadays.

Is this truly eating to thrive?  Don’t get me wrong, anyone who makes the above choices for long enough will certainly feel better, and becoming more and more conscious of how our food choices affect the planet is very important.

Eating to thrive, I propose, goes one step beyond:  This is why I call it Eating for Evolution (EFE).  It is a mind set that takes “green” to the next level.  Do we want to eat organic, or what some people call “beyond organic?”  Yes!  Do we want to eat seasonal and as local as possible?  Yes. Do we want to make conscious food choices?  Yes, of course.

What I have found is that, although we are more aware than ever of being part of a global family, we actually don’t act like it on a fundamental level.  Our motivations are primarily selfish in nature, and what generally gets us going in a particular direction is based on fear and the ever-present “problem” within or without that we need to fix.  Please don’t take my word for it, look into this for yourself and you will see that it is true.  This is actually the way our minds have evolved to function; part and parcel of thousands of years of survival conditioning.

What I propose is that we begin to operate out of a completely different paradigm.  How you ask?  Well, we can start in and through the very thing that we are most intimately intertwined with… food!

 Eating for Evolution is a position that we take in regards to life.  It is an acknowledgement of the Truth of interconnectedness, which is embodied in a deep sense of responsibility.  The realization on a gut level (pun intended) that how and what we eat actually alters culture on a foundational level.  From an EFE perspective, we can see that what and how we eat is not separate from the creation of new and more evolved values, and shared values are what create culture.  This is incredibly implicating if you really let it in!

 I believe that you want to make the world a better place; I know I do.  And how spectacular is it that we can do this by starting with what’s on our plates and our relationship to the choices behind that!

 Tired of diet dogma?  Is there something inside you that knows there is more to life than choices dictated by fear and desire?  If you are ready for positive transformation, starting with your relationship to food, then check out our Eating for Evolution community.  See you there!

 Straight ahead,

Tiffany

Busting the Carbohydrate Myth

Busting the “Carbohydrate Myth.” In this 25 minute interview with dynamic “JAM” you will learn what carbohydrates “hijack your taste buds” and create addictive response, and what carbohydrates fuel life force itself. Discover concepts like “keep your carbs real,” “use what you consume,” and “know your carbohydrate sensitivity.” One of my favorite phrases that came out of this interview is “make real food your junk food.”

Click here to access the EFE library, look for the interview titled “Busting the Carbohydrate Myth.