Since my entrance into the path of Dharma, I have brought mindfulness to the area of edible foods and other substances in several significant ways. Two of the more significant were that I stopped eating meat and animal products, and I stopped smoking cigarettes. Stopping smoking was by far the more difficult of the two, as smoking had become my coping mechanism for any emotional affliction no matter how small.
I made both of these changes in basically the same way. I reflected deeply on the suffering my purchase and intake of these products caused myself, those around me, the environment, and society. I reflected in this way not once, not twice, but over and over again. I also reflected repeatedly on my aspiration to free myself of suffering, to be of benefit to others, and to be a person who could make healthy choices in his life. I was so sick of living a life characterized by suffering and wanted so much to have a lifestyle in-line with my deeper aspirations.
Once stopping, a key understanding I developed was that I could not get rid of the cravings that would arise, for cigarettes or animal products, but I could change how I responded to the cravings once they arose. With a keen eye on what was arising in my mind, whenever I noticed a craving, I would hold it in mindfulness, remember my aspiration, reflect on the suffering following that craving would cause, and then either let it go, or do something healthier instead. In this way, I changed my habitual reaction to the cravings that arose, and eventually, the cravings even stopped appearing altogether. I have now been a Vegan and a non-smoker for close to 10 years.
A current challenge is that I do go a little heavy on coffee and tea throughout the day. I have experimented with cutting out caffeine, and I have done well for awhile, but then I do tend to go back to it. Part of the difficulty for me is that I often struggle with a fair amount of fatigue and use caffeine as a type of self-medication. I have been introducing more exercise into my life which certainly seems to be a key factor, but often it is difficult to fit it into my schedule. In addition, a recent blood test showed that I was fairly deficient in vitamins and minerals. Although my wife and I tend to eat pretty healthy, we are now making sure that we are eating more fresh vegetables, and taking the appropriate supplements. Making salads at lunch certainly takes more time than a peanut butter sandwich, but it is well worth the extra effort.
I am learning that a key aspect of consuming in a healthy way is having a lifestyle that supports that type of consumption. Being overly booked and constantly busy does not allow the time needed to take care of this body in the appropriate way. Although I want to be able to engage in activities that benefit others, I am realizing that giving this body the needed care is vital to that end. I am now looking deeply at my life in order to ensure that I have time to exercise, prepare more healthy meals, and take care of this body in other ways. It is a work in progress, and I am grateful to Fred for making this area a focus to help us all shine some light on potentially unhealthy habits.
