by Erik Krause
I picked up a copy of "Conscious Eating" after looking at "Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine", also by Gabriel Cousens. Both books have information on food choices as well as recipes. These could be called theory and practice. "Conscious Eating" has significantly more theory; "Rainbow Green" focuses more on practice. I chose "Conscious Eating" because I wanted more theoretical background on the topic. I like Dr. Cousens's insistence on individualizing methods to obtain maximum results. I think this attitude is a hallmark of good advice. There is little literature in the health and diet category where the author says repeatedly that there is no exact answer. Dr. Cousens tells the reader that not only does a 'proper' diet vary by individual; it also varies with health, environmental factors, and other uncontrolled factors. The only firm direction is to observe yourself and watch the effects of your lifestyle. Make eating conscious, as the title states.
The book is split into four sections: individualization of nutrition, considerations for vegetarianism, transitioning to vegetarianism and the art of live foods preparation. It is ends up being about 650 pages of theory followed by 120 pages of food preparation. (The proportions are approximately reversed for "Rainbow Green Live Food".) I have occasionally felt frustrated while reading because I kept expecting a specific to-do list of dietary perfection, which he does not give. As mentioned above, this is one of the positive qualities of the book. The challenge is to read about his experiences, relevant research, and various dietary considerations, then synthesize a personal plan of action. Evaluate your results then experiment more to come to understand what is needed. The subtle technique is to develop an awareness of what your body truly needs at any given time. I consider this subtle because without consistent practice, one is likely to misunderstand the body's requests, particularly when emotions cloud the waters.
There were several topics in "Conscious Eating" that I found to be very exciting in their messages, as well as useful for the models they contained. One such topic was the Addictive Brain chapter. From my personal experience, I have felt that accomplishments depend less on will-power or direct force than they do on the underlying desires for those actions. I quit trying to lose weight and lost 30 pounds. I lost interest in drinking and stopped. A week long fast was easy. I have tried to understand what has distinguished these experiences from other times where I tried losing weight and gained, wanted another drink, or couldn't fast for 12 hours let alone 24 hours.
I find that the positive experiences differ from the negative most in the sense of desires. The unusual part is that it wasn't the desire to lose weight that got the weight off. It wasn't the desire to not drink that got it stopped. It wasn't the desire for fasting that let it happen. In all these cases, it was a lack of desire for the opposite. I lost my desire for too much and too rich foods. I lost my desire for being drunk. I lost my desire for constantly eating. The irony is that often when our desire for positive action is highest its opposite also peaks. What is involved in working with reducing desires?
Experiences in yoga help me find hints. Yoga is less about doing than not doing. Most often, incorrect poses result from incorrect effort not lack of effort. A perceived lack of strength is often the result of an organizational deficiency causing muscle to be attempting the work of a bone. This is effort, desire, raga. Many times I could not do a pose until I released unconscious tension. With the release, comes depth and stability. Effort moves from external work to more subtle internal support.
By seeking emotional equivalents to the physical support of yoga props, I have had some success in reducing or transforming desires. But there remain patterns that distract me from progress and return me to old habits from time to time. I find these much harder to address. This is where the Addictive Brain chapter really ties in. In this chapter, Dr. Cousens gives examples of how nutrition (and physical activity!) can hugely improve the success rate for treatment of alcoholism, overeating and depression. It is not about forcing a result. His technique is to bolster nutrition with a better diet, supplementing deficiencies that contribute to (and result from) the disease process, while also finding activities to provide additional emotional support.
According to the chapter, mortality rates for recovered and active alcoholics are nearly identical, at about three times the rate for the general population. This suggests strongly that alcohol is not the primary problem in alcoholism. If you remove it, certain physical problems are prevented, but it fails to actually treat the problem. My experiences agree with his statement that a correction of the imbalance most often causes the addicted desire to not manifest. The skill comes in learning to consciously address any imbalances before they can again take hold. I can stack the deck in my favor by creating a "No Fail" environment, but there will still be times where I need to recognize that an imbalance is developing. At these times, I will hopefully have the wisdom to see the necessary corrections and put them into action.
This book suggests techniques to develop the necessary understanding. Rather than offering specific rules, Dr. Cousens recommends self-study. His approach to food combining is one such example. He does not offer hard and fast rules. What he does provide is a list of food combinations to try and a list of side effects and questions to evaluate the results. Developing this form of proprioceptive sensitivity is an amazing tool for achieving sustainable change. When it is possible to truly feel the difference between eating in a relaxed environment and eating under stress, it is much simpler to avoid the latter. It is unpleasant by comparison. If you can't tell the difference at first, a self-evaluation checklist can really direct your observations, and with practice it will get easier. Without practice, the sensitivity will diminish.
Reading this book has prompted me to research several topics. As is consistent with the name of this website, I always like to learn more about the world around me and within me. It has helped me regain my interest in transitioning back to a mostly raw diet. Several factors contributed to the disruption of the pattern I was establishing. Most significantly was a major period of stress and uncertainty, during which I lost the peace that goes with this type of diet and found myself wanting richer foods again. I had no community in my efforts, so it was really easy to step back into the patterns of my pre-existing group. I have really enjoyed the book and plan to study more of Dr. Cousens' work in the near future.