I was listening to my friend Dan Schwarzhoff’s Podcast this morning (What Do Food, Sex, and Your Parents Have in Common?), which I highly recommend. He was speaking of how our resentments trace back to resenting our parents, and how this manifests in all kinds of issues, one of them being eating disorders.
Now, this is not a new concept for me. I have heard radio host and counselor Roy Masters discuss this concept over a period of decades, and his insightful thoughts on the subject can be found in his book Eat No Evil.
Likewise, my long-time friend Jesse Lee Peterson (Founder and President of BOND, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “Rebuilding The Family By Rebuilding The Man”) has placed a major focus on this topic, particularly the need for every human being to go and forgive his or her parents for their shortcomings, in order to be free of the resentment we all pick up through our angry reaction to those shortcomings. The many testimonials from people who have done this and found freedom from anger speak for themselves.
By the way, every human being, even those who insist “my parents did nothing wrong… I love my parents”, has or has had resentment for them. And likewise, every parent has fallen short, be it in small or large ways. We have ALL erred in life, no one is immune. And as much as we want to love our parents, until we “forgive their trespasses,” we cannot truly love them.
So what does this all have to do with food?
We use food to “run” from the thoughts and feelings we do not want to face—simple as that.
Just as some people’s drug of choice is cocaine, the first drug of choice for all of us, is food.
I have spent much of my life fascinated with food, and what it can do for us in positive ways, if we “eat right.” I have logged my meals in enough spiral notebooks to stack up to my ceiling—probably literally.
And I have also logged many, many meals on apps such as Cronometer and MyFitnessPal.
Now I’m not knocking food logging. It can have quite a beneficial effect, and I use them regularly with my Clients. I believe that what you eat, how much you eat, and in what ratios you eat are clearly important.
But ultimately, merely attempting to eat “right” without being right will not work. In my own life, as “right” as I eat, I see that I still fall short. And the reason is that I—like almost every person alive—use food as an escape mechanism—not nearly as much as I used to, but I’m still overcoming.
We’re not supposed to use food—we’re supposed to eat it!
Overcoming Food Addiction
So how do we begin to overcome this food addiction? Look into the practice of becoming still to help guide you through this. This may not be comfortable in the beginning, but if you are ready to face uncomfortable truths—particularly about yourself—then this will prove a worthwhile journey.
Each of the men I mentioned above teaches an observation technique to help one separate from the unbearable pressures of life. Don’t let words scare you—to me, they are just forms of silent prayer, and at bottom, quite simple.
Roy Masters and Dan Schwarzhoff’s exercises are essentially the same to me, though Dan goes into greater explanation of the exercise (and his explanation is quite clear). Jesse’s “silent prayer” is a bit different. Give them a listen, and see what works best for you.
Roy Masters’ 7-Minute Meditation
Dan Schwarzhoff’s Non-Contemplative Meditation™
Jesse Lee Peterson’s Silent Prayer
So what do you have to lose, except your addiction to anger and food? If you have another way to do this, then by all means go that way. But if what you have already been trying is not working, then I encourage you to check this out—you just may find that it is the key to helping you overcome longstanding issues of all kinds!
Remember, this is really NOT about food.
Let me know what you think of this post; if you have tried methods like what I have described above, and if so, have they helped you to overcome any longstanding issues?
Christmas Special!
I do want to remind you that right now, I am offering something I’ve never offered before (and at these prices, I’ll likely never offer again!). You can purchase a 30-minute Health & Fitness Consultation for just $25! I will consult with you via phone or Zoom (available worldwide). I will help you find ways to overcome specific health and fitness challenges (including food issues), or just provide you with the best natural health and fitness recommendations possible.
I have coupled this offer with another one for Christmastime!
You can buy an Old School™ Gift Card of from 1 to 12 Sessions ($25 to $300) for a super-useful Christmas Gift for a friend or family member! No offense, but think about how many Christmas gifts are actually pretty useless. This will be a gift they will never forget, because if they’re willing, I will teach them practices they can use to stay healthy and fit their entire lifetimes!
So as we go deeper into the holiday season, begin to notice what is driving you to eat the wrong foods, and eat more of them—you will begin to see more clearly the nature of the problem… And how it can be resolved.
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Patrick Rooney is the Founder of OldSchoolUs.com. Its focus is natural health and independent living. Patrick is the author of GREEK PHYSIQUE: The Simple, Satisfying Way to Sculpt Your Body—Even if You’re Old, Weak, or Broken Down; and is also the creator of Greek Yoga™ and the Greek Yoga for Beginners video. He offers health and fitness consulting in-person in Middle Tennessee and worldwide via phone, Zoom, and Skype. To reach Patrick, email him at [email protected].