Minneapolis Life: A fine Balance.

I recently read Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food." He brings up a fascinating point that in regards to nutrition, "the nutritional value of food is more than the sum of its parts." Meaning that when we break our foods down into macro-nutrients (protein, fats, carbs, vitamin D, minerals, etc.) we begin to lose something research and scientists cannot explain, the synergy of real foods and their positive effect on our health. For example, we may be able to take out the essential Vitamin D and calcium from whole milk but I am not sure that makes General Mills "go-gurt" ( a drinkable yogurt, which has added calcium and vitamin D), a healthy option? A Go-Gurt "Strawberry Splash" ingredient list also has but is not limited to sugar, modified food startch, tricalcium phosphate, artificial flavor, red #40, tricalcium phoshate, etc. etc.

This blog is not intended to be a rant on General Mills (okay, maybe a small one) but, keep reading I do have a larger point to make.

I believe Michael Pollan is onto something. I am beginning to reflect not only about the food we consume but about our livelihood in general. As human "beings" we are more than the sum of all our parts- we are more than our isolated physical health, or our personalities, our relationships, our spirituality, etc. Just as vitamins don't work as well in isolation, nor do we work in an optimal fashion when we focus solely on one facet of our lives.

It is astonishing to me how we can live our day to day in such a synergy of our "beingness" and the way the body, mind and soul, subconscious, and higher consciousness are all interconnected and function in this world. It is such a fine balance that we must maintain. And so much of the time, we do this without thinking.

But I think, that not being mindful of this can be dangerous in our daily lives. We live in a fine balance. Too many things on one side of the scale can throw us off course. For example, this past weekend, we had family staying with us. I was overexcited and over-worried to make things perfect- I felt like Martha, busy busy laboring, instead of Mary, just listening and being... (My efforts paid off as it was a fabulous weekend- but I could have taken time for a chill pill too). I was left feeling overtired, under-excercised, over nourished, and under-churched! One of these things out of wack and my body may be incredibly adaptable. However, my equilibrium was so off that my body shut down as I was not mindful of all the alarms going off! I guess the upside is I slept- and now have time to blog and wait for my fever to go down! shoot. I am always learning.

When life is a bit rocky, you need rest, so rest. (taken on a water falls tour in Tamil Nadu.)

In India, I have had time for reflection on myself and how we live as humans. I love the quote "we are not human doings we are human beings." (My apologies as I am not sure who first said this.?) I find myself reflecting on this fine balance that is needed in order to live an optimal life. For me, I have found much peace in connecting with my human being and less "doing". A lot of "doing" in the States, mostly gave me chronic headaches. Not to say that "doing" in itself is bad or unnecessary. But doing with mindfulness is much different than doing out of the chronic rush rush we all get caught up in our everyday lives. why?

At first it bothered me to be labelled as "just a housewife" and having to measure my success of the day if I was able to find the groceries I needed or have the plumber actually show up on time. But by taking a step away from the westernized framework, I am realizing how important it is to: build a home for my hardworking husband, taking a sabbatical from heavy hearted work in mental health field, and taking time to learn a new culture, build new skill sets in the field of holistic medicine. Also, I am finding that building new friendships and relationships are just as integral for my health as anything else. To make the time to sit and have a coffee (okay I still can't drink caffeine and decaf doesn't exist in India! but..) and to take time to listen-to others and to what my body is telling me.

Our first family guests to Bangalore!

Before leaving Minnesota I was exploring answers for my headaches- I tried it all...neurologist, doctors, Chiropractor, postural therapy, physical therapy, TMJ specialist, acupuncture, hypnotist, nutritionist, herbalist. Believe me I could go on. Some of them brought me comfort some not so much. All of which taught me something more- you cannot just treat "a part" of yourself and expect immediate improvement. We are more than the sum of our non-functioning parts. Stress does not just simply evolve. It takes time to break it down into pieces. (too bad it doesn't take a longer time to build it back up!)

It isn't really about seeking out healing to just one part of ourselves from a third party source. It is about empowering ourselves and connecting with our own being-ness to discover the fine balance that lies within.