Hunger, Eating Disorders, and Family Ties

When I began reading Hungry, A Mother and Daughter Fight Anorexia by Sheila and Lisa Himmel, the complexity of eating disorders really began to sink in. Food-related addictions are like any other addiction, except for the fact that is it impossible to avoid coming into contact with the object of the obsession.

Characterized by an obsessive fear of gaining weight and refusal to maintain a healthy body weight due to a distorted self-image, anorexia is all about obsession, and in fact, has a high incidence of comorbidity with obsessive compulsive personality disorder. It also has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. According to a study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 5 - 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 - 40% ever fully recover. The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 - 24 years old. The South Carolina Department of Mental Health shares these staggering statistics. It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder - seven million women and one million men. One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.) An estimated 10 - 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males.

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Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are to blame for hundreds of thousands deaths each year, with approximately 100 million Americans categorized as obese. Still, 8 million people suffering from an eating disorder is a significant number too. Unlike other addictions, recovery from an eating disorder cannot happen in a vacuum. As Sheila points out in the book's introduction, "you can't just say no to food. At work, at home, on the street, America is a twenty-four hour buffet." To make things worse, "society prizes thinness for women" at the same time as it promotes fast convenience foods at every turn. With the growing national angst over obesity, the plot thickens along with the waistlines.

It is this conflict, like the push/pull in a great novel, that makes this nonfiction book so compelling, and so disturbing. Published last August, the account of a young woman's battle with anorexia and bulimia brings to our attention the many conflicting messages that we give and receive in our family relationships. While feeding our children is how we nurture them from the time they are born; as they grow older, we have less and less control over what, when, how, where, and why they eat. Throughout most childhoods, food is alternately used as nourishment, reward, comfort, bribe, love, punishment, and ritual. In Lisa's family, with her mother's job as a food writer and her father's love of gourmet, food was even a bigger part of the conversation. Whether this was a contributing factor, or just a coincidence, it's impossible to know.

As the Himmel's found when they searched for explanations for Lisa's eating disorder, there are certain "causes or triggers" that showed up on almost every list of factors: society's worship of ultra-thinness, anorexic mother or sister, parents highly focused on appearance, trauma, perfectionist personality, genetic predisposition to the disorder. The genetic predisposition is a biggie. According to Wikipedia, inheritance rates range are estimated between 56-84%.

I have had long looks into the kitchens and dining rooms of two of my closest friends, who have alluded to dark periods as young women when they flirted with eating disorders. One of them fought it off with such gusto, she now refuses to impose any limits on junk food in her home. She resented even the attempts of some parents to ban soda machines from her children's school. The other is incapable of shaking the feeling that with one wrong bite, obesity will not be just her own destiny, but her husband and children's as well.

How much of the heritable factor is due to the environment created and maintained by a parent and how much is due to the genes directly inherited from that parent? And does it matter? Just as it is ludicrous to assume that the patient has control over the disorder, it seems equally so to expect the parent with a similar history to be able to change her own skewed perspective.

There are no easy answers. One friend, a pediatrician, scoffs at the idea of tip-toeing around the topic of dieting with overweight teens. At the same time, many girls and women who have fallen prey to an eating disorder, say they can identify the exact phrase that started them down that torturous path.

Beyond exploring just the personal and social roots of Lisa's anorexia, Sheila looks at the historical roots as well. She compares the current views of eating disorders to past views of diseases like cancer, and tuberculosis. The mystery and shame that surrounded these illnesses causes the same sense of self-blame in patients with eating disorders. There is the notion, as with most mental health issues, that "the patients have brought it on themselves," and that they should just "get over it."

The Himmels' memoir is an important and valuable tool for all of us, whether we or someone we love is suffering from an eating disorder... or not. Developing an awareness of our society's tendency towards obsession about food, appearance, and health is a critical step in the journey to regaining moderation and balance in our own lives and the lives of others.

Hunger, Eating Disorders, and Family Ties

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What Does God Say About Eating Meat?

"If Mankind Had Known, They Would Have Perished..."

Is it right to eat meat? No matter what religious or spiritual background you may have, it is a valid question. If we are looking to know the heart of Divine Love in all things, why not also in our choices of food? Also, in recent years there have been very public health scares about meat consumption; we read of illnesses and death related to contaminated meat, and also about meat additives such as hormones and antibiotics. What is the best thing to do for our bodies and the bodies of those we love? Should we just stop eating meat? Or just stop eating red meat? Or maybe buy organic meat instead? How does a person figure it all out? Again, this is where knowledge beyond ourselves comes into play, the One who made our bodies knows what is best for them. What does God say about eating meat? What are animals anyway and why are they here? Is it primarily so we can eat them?

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There are two kinds of animals on the earth, wild and domesticated. Just as we are sparks off of the Divine Flame, domesticated animals are smaller sparks off of our own flames. These delegates serve a specific purpose, they are here to teach us more about love, the giving and receiving of love, balance within these bodies and most certainly how to play. These are our pets, and they take these roles very seriously. Delegates operate within our own free will, they are a part of us and are here to help us. They are spirit off our spirit, just as our spirit is off of God's. They are mobile sacred space, opportunities of unconditional love.

What about the non-domesticated animals or wild animals? These all belong to God. These are what we can think of as Father's delegates. These are a different kind of extension of love and joy for Father to feel and experience life through. It is easy to see how people of all cultures have had respect for animals in some regard and how those that we think of as being more spiritual have picked up on the respectful treatment of animals. When we take care of the wild animals, when we show love and respect for them, we demonstrate love and respect for the One who created us all. There are many examples of this, one being St. Francis of Assisi who often called the animals brothers, and was said to be able to communicate with them freely. Clearly, animals have much more to offer us then their flesh. Whether they be wild or domesticated.

Does that mean that a person is doing something wrong if they eat meat? No, it does not. Tiffany Snow specifically asked the question during one of the experiences of her stigmata (the spontaneous opening of the five wounds of Christ). The information offered here is from that time of connection, plus Bible quotations are listed for reference as well.

When God first made mankind, he made them vegetarians. Interestingly, he also made animals that way too. "Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food. And it was so." (Genesis 1:29,30) Mankind and the animals were at peace with one another, and a primary objective was to spend time with them and get to know them well (Genesis 2:19, 20).

All this changed after the flood of Noah's day. Now the original ecosystem had been destroyed, and new ways to live it in were given. "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it." (Genesis 9:3,4) Along with this mankind now had a new relationship with the animals, as they also had among themselves. (Genesis 9:2) Now meat was added to sustain life in this new, less Edenic world. It was given as a gift so that others could live. Why had the information about the true delegate nature of animals not been given in the scriptures before? God said it was because if mankind had known, they would not have eaten meat, and would have perished right after the flood, because there was not enough sustenance in the land itself through any other means.

God is so loving that he would allow for encroachment upon himself rather than have mankind suffer and perish by not having enough to eat. This is a precious insight into the tenderness of Love. This is Divine Love in action everyday, literally laying down one's life for another. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Be encouraged then to partake of the banquet that God has ordained for us. For God has allowed mankind to eat meat so that mankind not suffer or be in lack. It is a blessing given to us, with one condition. When meat was given to mankind it was also with the provision that the blood in it was poured out to God. The blood circulating in our veins is not ours, but on loan by God, it is considered his. "The life of the flesh is in the blood...drain out the blood and cover it with earth...you must not eat the blood of any creature..." (Leviticus 17:10-14) Many have wondered if this applies to how a meat is cooked, if eating rare meat is not recommended. But that is not the case. If the animal has been properly bled, that is all that is required, and need not worry us.

Yes, in all cultures throughout time we have seen the natural inclination that as spirituality increases, many have chosen to eat less meat or not to eat meat at all. But this is not required by God, but it is a free will choice available to man, and at this time of world imperfection, we are able to eat meat as needed or even desired. We are told in the Bible that if a person has faith that is strong, it will not matter what they eat. If their faith is weaker and they see a limitation upon themselves that they have imposed or bought into from an imposition of another and they think that they cause themselves harm by eating this food or that food, then they are not to be pushed to change. It is up to them. Accept their choices and allow their faith to grow with God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-13) For it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out - not about what he eats or puts in his mouth, but about what comes from it. (Matthew 15:17-20)

From this we can also better understand the sacrifice of animals all throughout scripture. In the Old Testament we have many examples of an animal being offered as a sacrifice, to wash away sin (sin means literally "missing the mark of perfection" like an arrow missing the bull's-eye). God asked that these animals be the first born, be pure and without defect and he asked that their blood be used as a cleansing. Does it make more sense now, knowing that it was God's blood, through the animal, that was being used as a cleansing? God himself was rinsing away sin through his own blood within the animal offered. Now do you also see the forgiveness of sin that came through the life-blood of the perfect first-born son of God, Christ himself, poured out for all mankind?

So let it be known that it is up to each individual whether or not they choose to eat meat. That is between the person and God. We are not asked to live in fear, for fear stagnates and freezes us, love always moves us forward. Listen to the spirit of God within you, for he often talks to us in our own voice, and lift up any questions about eating this or that to God. It is not about following the news about the next health scare, which often includes vegetable warnings as well. But to live in faith and love, and in balance. This place of balance is where The Big Guy wants all of us to be, each of us to be the mystic and hear him for ourselves. Not to give our power away to others or live in fear, but to lift all things up and see if they resonate with our heart and spirit, to listen to the spark of God within us. That place of listening may be guiding your hand over which cut or kind of meat on any particular day, or it may be that place of remembering to pray a blessing over any food before you eat it, transforming it back into a state of health for us.

Now you have greater understanding of the deeper knowledge of animals and meat, and the love of God for humanity.

Love desires us and our loved ones to be healthy, and fully guided and protected in all things. Especially as things speed up in this world shift and the dark becomes darker, more guidance and information is given, for the light becomes lighter as well, and Love wins! This love includes having safe and healthy food for the physical body, and the spiritual information to help us grow and understand ourselves and the world better, including the animals around us.

By Tiffany Snow © 2008

What Does God Say About Eating Meat?

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When Can I Start Eating Beans Again in Candida Diet?

This friend of mine really likes beans, such as lima, chickpeas, black beans, refried beans (organic of course), etc, and he keeps wondering when in the candida diet he can start eating these again. He also throws some other questions to me. He wants to know if lentil a bean and can be eaten on this diet. Then, what about organic blue corn chips? He found organic sweet potato chips, so he asked me if he can eat them.

He leads a very busy life and needs snack foods of some sort. That is fine if it has to be pieces of raw veggies, but he is going through some serious withdrawals here. He will kick this though in spite of the cravings.

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He is told that corn and sweet potatoes are on eating sparingly list. He really wants to kick these things, so he will avoid even the "eat sparingly" stuff until he knows it is safe. There are a lot of conflicting sources concerning this. Generally speaking, I guess the main question is: when is a good time to reintroduce these into the diet?

Well, you can re-introduce those things again after some times of the strict diet. It actually depends on one's personal body to tolerate some foods, but I would think that corn is a never. Dried beans are another story, though. I eat Wendy's Chili all the time and the beans in that don't kick me into cravings, or give my any trouble. Well, perhaps I experience some reasonable mild gas.

When Can I Start Eating Beans Again in Candida Diet?

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Safe Diets - Eating Healthy to Lose Weight Tips

Safe diets encourage eating healthy to lose weight. They have certain characteristics that improve your health and longevity.

Avoid those silly unhealthy fad diets - you may lose weight at first but you won't keep it off. Plus unhealthy extreme diet plans can send you to the hospital or do lasting damage. These are simple tips that all safe diets include in their plan. Read this short article now to start losing weight immediately.

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Safe Diets

Your diet should include the following to be safe:

1- Drink lots of water

Water helps you lose weight because water is necessary for every bodily function. If you are dehydrated - you actually shut down your body's organs from doing their job and you S-L-O-W down your metabolism to a crawl. Your daily intake should include at least 9-13 cups of water. Drink more if you exercise.

2- Avoid sodas (both regular and diet)

Soda is one of the worst things you can ingest. No weight loss plan that is good for you will allow you to drink soda. Dump that soda habit!

3- Avoid any food that contains high fructose corn syrup

Read your labels, folks, because high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is added to thousands of everyday processed foods. You will be shocked at all food that contain this damaging ingredient: ketchup, salad dressing, breakfast cereals, yogurt, 100 calorie snack packs, and more. HFCS makes you fatter - avoid it!

4- Eat more raw foods

Raw fruits and vegetables are powerful healthy weight loss foods. They have a high water content, great natural fiber and they are loaded with nutrients that your body needs to function well. The characteristics of raw foods naturally help you reach your ideal weight easily.

Avoid the fad diet foods and feed your body healthy foods found in safe diets and the weight will come off quick!

Safe Diets - Eating Healthy to Lose Weight Tips

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The Gastric Bypass Diet - Eating After Weight Loss Surgery

You have finally made the decision to have gastric bypass surgery and now you have to learn about the gastric bypass diet. Most people realize their life will be drastically different in the future, but their thoughts are about how much weight they are going to lose and not what changes they will have to make to get there.
 
What you will be eating will be a big part of the changes you will be making. You will not be having surgery and be eating a hamburger the next day. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most bariatric surgery programs include the diet specification as part of your pre-op information. I was actually required to take classes that taught the particulars of the bariatric diet. The other thing that is important is that these foods are purchased and in your home prior to your return from the hospital.

Step 1 of the diet for gastric bypass was not something that I had to be concerned about too much. It was administered while I was in the hospital by the dietitian. I had to be able to eat a step 2 meal before I could leave the hospital. Step 2 foods are bariatric protein shakes, pureed and strained foods and baby foods. You can have any combination of these foods. The most important thing here is to try to consume 60 grams of protein per day.
 
You should be drinking 32 ounces of water or sugar free beverages. You should also eliminate any carbonated beverages at this stage of your diet. Step 2 of the bariatric diet will last 2-4 weeks following your surgery. Step 3 will be the step where you begin reintroducing soft foods back into your diet. I started with cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. No matter what you begin with, you have to make sure it is chewed until it is liquid. During the next month, you will be trying out different foods and learning what foods your body likes and what things your body will not tolerate.
 
Step 4 will come at about 2 months following your surgery. At this point, you can eat almost anything. Meats are going to be the most difficult. You will want to cut it into small pieces and/or add it to broth. You should always limit your fat and sugar intake. Sugar presents a large problem for most gastric bypass patients. If you have the lap band, you probably will not have as much of a problem as a roux-en-y patient.
 
The best way to eat is to reintroduce all foods moderately. This way you will know how your digestive system is going to handle each new food. This is going to be an exciting time in your life as you begin a new lifestyle.

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The Gastric Bypass Diet - Eating After Weight Loss Surgery

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