While walking this morning, I noticed birds above flying in a way that just appeared to be so free. Perhaps they were scouting for food, but by all appearances, they were just enjoying the winds and floating in circles. That made me smile. I had an amazing weekend, which followed the most wonderful experience on Friday. You see, on Friday, I was invited to shadow Dr. Cesar Lara.
Dr. Lara is a local family practitioner who specializes in weight management. We have begun working together and he felt I could better understand what it is he does, by observing him in action. Every hypnotist ought to have the same opportunity! Meeting with his patients, hearing their concerns and observing the gentle yet clear manner he communicates with them was inspiring. Furthermore, I always enjoy learning more about the science of medicine. Dr. Lara respectfully asked for my input. In just a few short moments, I could observe big changes occurring in the thoughts behind behaviors of these individuals.

Something I did notice is how the current “scarcity” mentality is affecting people’s weight. People are stressed, which in turn affects their sleep. Not enough sleep has been identified as a factor in weight gain. Furthermore, midnight snacking often occurs when sleep is interrupted.

Another reaction to stress is the release of cortisol by the adrenal glands. One of the functions of cortisol is to trigger a production of blood sugar from proteins. Excess glucose is then used for fat production. This increases fat storage in the body.

An additional outcome of scarcity thinking is that we tend to hoard. Why, there was even a report today on my local news station (10Connects) that there has been a reduction of trash recently due to the economy! Hoarding occurs on our bodies as well. We hold on to extra weight at a subconscious level because we fear not having enough food later. We over eat because we fear lack.

Nature is amazing in it’s abundance. When I look at my orange tree, it never produces just “the one” orange. It produces so many oranges that we have to give them to everyone we can. My son has recently laughingly reminded me that nature is abundant with the generous amounts of pollen we have had to sweep from our drive daily. Sunsets are never ending. The number of seagulls every time I visit the beach, more than enough, thank you very much!

I realized that sometimes I do the same thing. I eat beyond the point of satisfaction, because at some level I believe I may never get to enjoy the wonderful dish before me again. Yet, in reality, there is always another dish set before me of equal enjoyment the very next meal. It is time for me to be very aware of mindful practice in eating. I will eat just a little less, trusting that I will always have another perfect meal.