Less Food for Thought

Today's Food:

Breakfast (at around 11:30):
1 Thai coconut on the porch; water through a straw and meat with a spoon

Snack:
2 bricks Two Moms in the Raw Gojiberry granola

Dinner:
Salad with Angelo's Farm red leaf lettuce, muticolored grape tomatoes from a farm in upstate, NY, avocado, carrot, purple cabbage, yellow and white corn off the cob, cuke and mushrooms with dulse, nutritional yeast, olive oil and sea salt
Dessert:
Bowl of Coconut Bliss Chocolate Hazelnut ice cream

I was re-reading some notes I took during a fabulous and inspiring talk by Gabriel Cousens last October, when he came to NY. One of the pieces that I loved and that inspired me is this statement of his:
"The less you eat, the longer you live."
I know this to be true. I feel it in every cell of my body when I am eating that way. The energy; the sense of well being and clarity are all astounding.
I dare you to take this challenge: Cut your food intake in half just for one day. Don't eat until 11:30 or noon, and when you do, start your day with some fresh coconut water or a green smoothie. Keep it simple and light and take a break in between meals. See Just how much energy you have; you will be astounded.
Gabriel then went on to say that in our society, our average daily calorie intake is 3800 calories; compare this to the calorie intake in "long-living" societies, which is 1600 calories.
Why is this? It's because the more we ask our digestive system to work, the more we tax it and tire it out; also, this can create inflammation, depending on what foods we choose to offer it. Our digestive system is a beautiful operating system; a highly developed machine, but it functions best when not over-taxed and when cared for lovingly.
Angela Stokes-Monarch, when talking about the virtues of "juice feasting" (ecstatically fasting on green juices) says, "You take the body's focus away from digestion and into elimination." This is because juicing bypasses the colon and digestive system, as there is no fiber to process, and allows the nutrients to go directly into the bloodstream, cells and organs (therefore why juicing is optimal for cancer and other inflammatory health issues). The second process is then the process of elimination, or letting go of extraneous waste.
Gabriel also says: "You can eat half as much live food and get all the nutrients you want." This is interesting to note, because if you are a raw or partially raw foodie, one of the hardest "memories" to let go of with eating is that more is best, expecially if you are feeling lonely, sad, tired or are missing something in your life. The emotional component plays such a huge role in the desire to fill with food.
So I pose this question: Do you have some spiritual, athletic or comforting "practices" in your life that keep you on your soul's path? What can you draw upon when you wake up in a funk and want to crawl back under the covers? Whether it's a regular yoga class, some journaling, or a daily phone call with your best friend; maybe one great hug a day or a big, juicy kiss; a weekly massage to look forward to or completion of a goal that is one of your life commitments and that you really want to finish.....this "act" should fill you with more self worth than food is replacing for you.
The point is, we use food (all of us) way too much and don't allow ourselves to feel lighter in our bodies so our souls can dance.
Food is delicious, luscious and important sustenance. Every morsel should be an ecstatic experience. But it should support our already thriving energy systems known as our bodies. We really don't have to eat that much to give the body what it needs. If our bodies are cleaned out, healthy and thriving, then we just need to give them the highest quality (not quantity) of food each day.
So, that's what I'm aiming for. I'm not there, yet; sometimes, I'm right there for awhile and feeling amazing, but often, I allow food to take me out of the presence of my soul.
Join me in this journey, and please share your stories....