Breaking Old Habits

In order to achieve spiritual health, we need to look at what thought we put into our mind. We need to catch our negative thought patterns and keep them at bay in order to feel light, free, energetic and positive.

Likewise, in order to achieve good physical health, we need to look at what we put into our body. The more you look at what we put into our body, the more we should worry. Over-indulgence in tasty food yet of little or no benefit to the body seems commonplace.

I have never doubted that a lot of our health problems arise from thoughtless eating habits. I know ultimately I would like to be vegetarian, organic, dairy-free and gluten-free. I think two meals a day would perhaps be enough. I believe that a simple life with a simple diet is not only sustainable, but is the ultimate pathway to good health and longevity.

However I also know that I need to be realistic. With thirty-four years of old habits and programming, I am certainly not going to make all the desirable changes overnight!

Although I have embarked on a new dietary regime recently, a lot of habitual activities such as shopping, dining out or holidays can be challenging. If you don’t apply will power and discipline, it’s very easy to surrender to your cravings. After all, healthy food is usually not tasty and tasty food is usually unhealthy. At times when your craving rear its ugly head, have you considered the ‘mute button’ method? Let me explain if you don't understand what I meant by 'mute button'. When hubby and I went to do shopping in the supermarket today, he was hanging around in the bakery section for ages, admiring the muffins and cakes with his eyes wide open and shining. Realising he was not in a hurry to walk away, I pinched him and said: “Honey, let’s put the mute button on!” He awakened from a state of trance and away we walked.

Yes, that mute button can be very useful at times like this. When the mute button is on, everything freezes - you may see something, but you don’t smell, fantasize, or crave. Your mind stops wandering. You regain a sense of self-control. You don’t have to fall captive to your cravings or old habits.

Last week when we went to the beach for a holiday, I also had to use the ‘mute button’ a lot as most food available could not pass my ‘ok list’. Although I had told my mother-in-law not to make any cakes in advance, she still went ahead and made a banana cake and short bread especially for us despite the warning. In all honesty I would rather run a marathon than use that ‘mute button’ in front of the cake! But one must stick to one's rules!

It is said that it takes forty nine days to cement a new habit. While it may take some effort, I know I can do it!