Jan Chozen Bays

LibraryThing Review:

A growing body of research is showing that mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health, and improve one’s overall quality of life. Jan Chozen Bays, MD—physician and Zen teacher—has developed a series of simple practices to help us cultivate mindfulness as we go about our ordinary, daily lives. Exercises include: taking three deep breaths before answering the phone, noticing and adjusting your posture throughout the day, eating mindfully, and leaving no trace of yourself after using the kitchen or bathroom. Each exercise is presented with tips on how to remind yourself and a short life lesson connected with it.… (más)

Why not? I seem to have lost interest in the kitchen, and in foods, and have gained so much weight, I'm miserable. So, I thought maybe a book in this subject might be in order and would help me to refocus my attention on cooking again for my health. I've always been about simplifying my life and living more mindfully. This book takes it to a whole new level. It is really about learning to love and to trust yourself. Now, I didn't work my way through the exercises, but I am now made more aware of how we should approach food. She provides a lot of insight into personal struggles and easy step by step ways to slowly incorporate some good practices into your life. It is always a good thing to be grateful for the process, and the ways food comes to us. It is always good to be grateful for many things in life, which we usually take for granted.

This author explains the first step is to learn to listen to your body, your heart, and your mind when eating or drinking anything. There are 9 different kinds of hunger...eyes, touch, ears, nose, mouth, stomach, cells, mind, and heart...and she goes into explaining how to determine which is wanting to be fed. Once you read her explanations of each, you will understand, and she tells you how to go about learning to detect which one is calling out for food so you can make wiser choices.

She's not about deprivation. Mindful substitutions are better. Go the middle way with food. It's a wobbly road. Eat the occasional sweet with mindfulness, then abstain from a certain food for just a while for you to feel the effects. Then, go ahead and eat it again, but in a mindful manner. Learn to eat until "satisfied", not uncomfortable-stuffed-full.

Although not mentioned, it seems a journal might be helpful in learning to eat mindfully and learning to discern which hunger is being fed. She suggests some basic Zen meditation to clear your mind and get to the bottom of your spirituality with food and body. After you've figured out which hunger you are feeding, then begin eating with your mind on the food itself (the aromas, the colors, the shapes, the flavors, the feel, swallowing, etc...) at a clean table and in a quiet environment, focusing on the food. This is the meaning of being in the present, and this is eating mindfully. You will enjoy your food more and feel grateful for it.

To break old habits, whether eating patterns or any other bad habits (thoughts about someone, actions, etc..), you STOP! Literally, stop, be aware and don't move! Don't move your mouth or your body! Then make your choice of action with a clear head.

An overabundance of food has decreased our gratitude towards food. We have to remember that health and life are temporary gifts. When we feel our body has betrayed us with sickness (irritable bowel syndrome, food sensitivities, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, weight gain, etc...), those parts of the body need extra help and extra kindness, not extra criticism, and feed the cells what they need. This is considered cell hunger, one of the 9 hungers. We also need to consider our gut microbiome community of beneficial bacteria and be sure to feed it probiotic (fermented foods) and prebiotics (plant fibers) if we want to remain healthy. It's good reading on this subject from page 147 to 150. She talks of the association between junk foods and an altered gut microbiome and diseases.

Parents of young children and teenagers might really enjoy Chapter 6, "Mindful Eating with Children". For smaller children, the parents are responsible for what, when and where (what foods are served...variety of healthy foods...and when and where they are served). The child should be responsible for which food to eat and how much to eat...preferrably with his hands to experience the feel of food, one of the 9 hungers. The child will learn to eat the amount needed, and to eat what the parents eat or cook. She describes a few fun exercises to play with young kids to help them along with discerning the 9 features of hunger as they are growing up.

For helping young teenagers, she lists 8 exercises, that are really awesome ideas, to get them thinking mindfully of food. I have 10 grandkids now that I think would enjoy every one of these exercises. This gives me something to think about for their next sleepover.

The last chapter, page 179, is a summary of tips for mindful eating that might be worth printing out and reviewing on occasion when you feel like you need a refresher. I will probably reread this book a little slower and go through the exercises a little later on. I have never tried meditation, but as I’m reading more and more on the subject, it has piqued my interest.… (más)

From LibraryThing Review:

A growing body of research is showing that mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health, and improve one’s overall quality of life. Jan Chozen Bays, MD—physician and Zen teacher—has developed a series of simple practices to help us cultivate mindfulness as we go about our ordinary, daily lives. Exercises include: taking three deep breaths before answering the phone, noticing and adjusting your posture throughout the day, eating mindfully, and leaving no trace of yourself after using the kitchen or bathroom. Each exercise is presented with tips on how to remind yourself and a short life lesson connected with it.… (más)