Steps Seven and Eight on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

7. I heal my relationship with food (I get an emotional grip)

8. I find emotional satisfaction in things other than food

Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys).

Tampopo

Food, at its essence, is fuel for the body. The purpose of food, from the time we are conceived, is to nourish every cell, organ, and tissue, so that we, as humans can function at an optimum level. We can argue about what are the best foods for our bodies. Since this is a raw vegan blog, and the author feels that raw food is the best fuel for her body, then she is going with that. (But I always say listen to your own body’s wisdom.)

I love food. I love everything about it. Texture, taste, smell, combinations, and possibilities all make me swoon. The problem comes in when food becomes a substitute for expressing feelings, otherwise known as emotional eating.

Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans

I am no psychologist. I’m just someone who has struggled with this issue for years, particularly the past seven years. What I can say is the moment you recognize that you are an emotional eater, you are on your way to healing. The phrase, “It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you” is a truism. Watch any episode of the TV show The Biggest Loser and you’ll see that the contestants have been eating their pain for years instead of dealing with it.

My biggest suggestion is to find a faith, or belief system, that grounds you. I’ve been doing some soul searching. I believe I’ve found a faith that supports what I receive from The Mocha Angels. Therapy, yoga, chakra work, particularly throat chakra work, will all help. I focus on the throat chakra because that is the seat of communication. When we force down our self-expression with food, that stifles the throat chakra. It’s important to feel safe when you speak.

Resources:

Losing Your Pounds of Pain by Doreen Virtue

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

The Great Debaters

While you work on healing your feelings, find other things to do which don’t involve food. I love kickboxing, yoga, reading, and writing. Make sure you love to do your activities. Choose things which make you feel good. For those of us who love food, it’s pleasurable. You want do things which are equally as pleasurable and fun. You don’t want to feel like you’re being distracted. You want to really have fun!

And speaking of having fun, I made the Grapefruit Cleanser juice from Everyday Raw. It’s grapefruit, apples, limes, and kale. I do not like grapefruit. But this is a refreshing, tangy drink. When I’m still thinking about a drink a week later, it’s a good one.

Love,

Althea

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Steps Seven and Eight on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey