Do you ever wonder why some people can just eat junk food and sugar, and smoke cigars, and still be healthy? It hardly seems fair. And then you meet some people who are super-careful with everything they eat and they seem so miserable and look pale and weak.
Often when we see something like this we chalk it up to genetics or good luck, but there is one factor that can’t be overlooked, and that factor is referred to by Joshua Rosenthal (head of the school Institute for Integrative Nutrition) as Primary Food.
Primary food... what does that mean? It means your work, your relationships, the fun you have, how meaningful your life is in general, and how much you are enjoying it.
It seems that how happy you are with your life may be even more important than what you put in your mouth, as far as determining how healthy you are.
Think about it... the times you’ve been in love, or consumed by joyful work, such as making music, or doing art, or anything creative- you forgot all about food, didn’t you? And yet you felt great.
My acupuncturist once said to me that you send little “live” and “die” messages from your brain to your body all day long. So it’s really important that you have something to live for. Not just something to *not die* for (people need me at work and at home) but something to *live* for (I can’t wait to start on that project, or go camping with my kids, etc.).
So that, my friends is why I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for the last 3 weeks. I decided to fill up on some primary food, because my life was getting out of balance. Too much grunt work at the computer (zillions of e mails, networking, book promo, etc.) and not enough joy.
I decided to go back to this awesome music camp in New Mexico where I taught during the summer 1999-2004 and have myself a week of fun, sun, mountains, stars, great kids, awesome fellowship with other teachers and music, music, music. I’m pooped, my clothes are covered in camp dust, and I had a blast. I feel full.
So... primary food! What brings you joy? Who are the meaningful relationships in your life, and are you getting enough time with those people? Can you schedule more Vitamin F (fun) into your week? Tell me about your primary food- who in your life fills you up, what you like to do that makes you feel alive and happy to the core, and so on.
Often when we see something like this we chalk it up to genetics or good luck, but there is one factor that can’t be overlooked, and that factor is referred to by Joshua Rosenthal (head of the school Institute for Integrative Nutrition) as Primary Food.
Primary food... what does that mean? It means your work, your relationships, the fun you have, how meaningful your life is in general, and how much you are enjoying it.
It seems that how happy you are with your life may be even more important than what you put in your mouth, as far as determining how healthy you are.
Think about it... the times you’ve been in love, or consumed by joyful work, such as making music, or doing art, or anything creative- you forgot all about food, didn’t you? And yet you felt great.
My acupuncturist once said to me that you send little “live” and “die” messages from your brain to your body all day long. So it’s really important that you have something to live for. Not just something to *not die* for (people need me at work and at home) but something to *live* for (I can’t wait to start on that project, or go camping with my kids, etc.).
So that, my friends is why I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for the last 3 weeks. I decided to fill up on some primary food, because my life was getting out of balance. Too much grunt work at the computer (zillions of e mails, networking, book promo, etc.) and not enough joy.
I decided to go back to this awesome music camp in New Mexico where I taught during the summer 1999-2004 and have myself a week of fun, sun, mountains, stars, great kids, awesome fellowship with other teachers and music, music, music. I’m pooped, my clothes are covered in camp dust, and I had a blast. I feel full.
So... primary food! What brings you joy? Who are the meaningful relationships in your life, and are you getting enough time with those people? Can you schedule more Vitamin F (fun) into your week? Tell me about your primary food- who in your life fills you up, what you like to do that makes you feel alive and happy to the core, and so on.
6 comments:
Well, Carla, if not for those camps you never would have met my wife (Andrea, a fellow camp teacher) and I would have never been introduced to your wackiness. So it spills over in lots of serendipitous ways......
My primary food is my boyfriend and my friends...they bring me so much joy...as well as a darling little bassett hound! When I really need to escape and fulfill myself, I turn to writing and singing...
Hi Carla,
When my dad spent the last 2 years of his life in my home on his death bed, I had zero Vitamin F in my life, and had the worst flare I've ever had.
Since he passed, I've been able to pull myself together, and have been doing better. I enjoy my family, pets, home, making jewelry, and getting away to the beach whenever possible. Having some "F" in my life has made a huge difference!
My family, my dogs, and crafting make me happy, and keep me full of (F)un!
Glad you had a fun time at camp!
Hi there! Just wanted to let you know about an Online Lupus Support Group recently created by Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus, a non profit based in Portland, OR.
Here are the details. Feel free to spread the word!
Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus, invites Lupus patients all over the world to participate in an Online Support Group. The group meets this Sunday, July 17th, at 4:00 PM.
No matter where you live, Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus wants to offer you a place to share your experience of living with lupus. Our Online Support Group meets weekly. Our chats focus on a different topic each week, including subjects like:
• Lupus and Relationships
• Pain Management & Avoiding Fatigue
• Finding the Right Doctor
• Building a Support Network
• Explaining Lupus to Friends and Family
The Online Support Group is peer-led, and open to everyone who has been affected by lupus.
Here's how you can join our Online Support Group now!
1. Register on the Molly's Fund website (www.mollysfund.org), using the link at the top of your screen. You'll be able to create profile with a picture and any information you'd like to share. You can choose your privacy settings, and no information will be shown without your permission.
2. Visit the Voices of Lupus section of the Molly's Fund website, read the descriptions of upcoming meetings, and RSVP! You will receive reminder emails once you have RSVP'd for the meetings.
3. At the start time of the next meeting, the Online Support Group will be open! Login with the username and password you created when you registered, and join the chat!
I LOVED this post! I am new to the blog world, unfortunately not new to Lupus and this gave me a moment of perspective on both! Well done!
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