Albert Einstein and Compassion

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Quote by Albert Einstein

I came across the quote below, liked it and wanted to share it with you. I knew Einstein was brilliant, but I didn't know how far reaching his wisdom stretched.

I think modern western science is slowly catching up to the idea that we are all part of a greater whole. Asian cultures already know this to be true and this is one of the many reasons I went to study Chinese Medicine.

With this system, the whole and the parts are looked at holistically. The medicine was developed by observing the relationship between man and nature. We can learn a lot from nature and obviously from Einstein.

So, here's the quote:

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part
limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and
feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical
delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for
us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few
persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this
prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living
creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

- Albert Einstein

And, I don't know this for sure, but when he wrote about widening the circle of compassion, I think he was including each one of us. Sometimes, it's easier to be compassionate to others rather than ourselves.

How will you be compassionate to yourself today?

I'm going to go for a nice walk in nature...How about you? I'd like to know.

Be well!

Kara


Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc

The Food Craving Solution
video: http://tinyurl.com/d4gz9a
email: kara@thefoodcravingsolution.com
blog: http://blog.thefoodcravingsolution.com
Web: http://thefoodcravingsolution.com

Do You Think I'm Fat? Girls and Body Image

Please watch this video about young girls asking the question:

Do you think I'm Fat?

Please comment below.

• What do you see as a solution for this?

• What message are we sending and how can the message change?

• How can we prevent future generations of girls falling into Eating Disorders?

• How can we serve those already struggling with Eating Disorders?
  

• How can we support healthy Body Image, Self Esteem and Body Esteem in girls?
  

Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc

The Food Craving Solution
video: http://tinyurl.com/d4gz9a
email: kara@thefoodcravingsolution.com
blog: http://blog.thefoodcravingsolution.com
Web: http://thefoodcravingsolution.com

More Food with Friends...A Picnic at the Beach

Picnic at the Beach

Today, I went to the beach for a picnic with my good friend Amanda, her husband and her Dad. Amanda is a fantastic Acupuncturist and you can find out more about her here:

We hiked out to Tennessee Valley Beach, and I took photos (on my iphone) of the poppies, lupin and a few wild turkeys along the way. We ate our sandwiches (and I drank my homemade kombucha) while talking and looking out towards the waves. Such an enjoyable day at the beach with t-shirt weather on the N. California coast! We talked about a lot of things, and laughed, but because two of us our health practitioners, we ended up talking about wheat free diets and gluten. What a surprise! There are so many options nowadays for food when one has food allergies, but mostly, we just enjoyed our food choices and the sunshine.

So, I highly recommend picnics with friends and loved one's, it's just good for the Soul. Reconnecting with nature, getting away from routine, it's all good. So, when was the last time you went out for a spontaneous picnic? Where do you like to go for picnics? What are your favorite foods to bring? I'd love to hear from you, please leave a comment.

Kara


Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc

The Food Craving Solution
video: http://tinyurl.com/d4gz9a
email: kara@thefoodcravingsolution.com
blog: http://blog.thefoodcravingsolution.com
Web: http://thefoodcravingsolution.com

Sharing Food with Friends....it's what I Crave

Sharing Food with Friends

Today is a day of sharing food. For lunch, I'm meeting with a group of colleagues at the Ward Street Cafe.

For dinner, I'm going top visit my good friend at her home in Menlo Park. We're celebrating her birthday, which is on the 14th. Just 5 years ago, she went into labor on the eve of her birthday. This is a special day for her and her family. I'm looking forward to spending time with them and sharing food with them.

After all, good food shared with good company is hard to beat. That's what I crave. She'll be preparing traditional Persian food, which is such a treat. Yum! These are the moments to savor in life...laughing, good conversation, sharing, savoring flavors, etc. Whenever I can, I share meals with friends or family. It's nice to eat in quiet sometimes too, but given the choice, I'll pick a full table, with food cooked with love....it just tastes better. It even improves digestion, all those good feelings.

How about you? What are your shared meals like? How do they make you feel? What do you crave?

Kara Sorensen, MS, LAc

The Food Craving Solution
video: http://tinyurl.com/d4gz9a
email: kara@thefoodcravingsolution.com
blog: http://blog.thefoodcravingsolution.com
Web: http://thefoodcravingsolution.com

Dark vs. Milk Chocolate. Which One Reduced Food Cravings?

Dark chocolate lovers read on, I think you're going to like this one!

Here is a news clip from a study that looked at the difference between dark chocolate and milk chocolate with regards to subsequent food cravings:

'New research at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen – shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. In other words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down...'

The study compared how much pizza participants would voluntarily eat after previously eating dark chocolate versus milk chocolate. The report can be found here, but let's cut to the chase.... here are the results:

'The results were significant. The calorie intake at the subsequent meal where they could eat as much pizza as they liked was 15 per cent lower when they had eaten dark chocolate beforehand. The participants also stated that the plain chocolate made them feel less like eating sweet, salty or fatty foods.'

So there you have it! It makes sense to me when comparing the difference between dark and milk chocolate. I have some theories about why there is a difference, but I want to hear your thoughts. What do you think the difference is? Please leave your comments below!

Do remember that this was a comparison between dark and milk chocolate. I wouldn't go out and start eating chocolate just to reduce food cravings. If it's on your list of things to eat, enjoy it in moderation and know that dark chocolate has some health benefits.*  

If you do want to enjoy chocolate, go for the least processed (raw is best), organic, fair trade chocolate that is sweetened with 'less refined' sugars, and without artificial fillers or additives. You can taste the difference!

Remember, if you've got a concern about chocolate because you:

1-Eat too much

2-Eat it too often
3-Are concerned you'll eat too much
4-Feel guilty about eating it

...then give me a call. I can help you let go of all of that, and help put you back in charge so you can enjoy chocolate, or not, it's your choice.

How would it feel to be totally in charge with chocolate?

kara@thefoodcravingsolution.com
www.thefoodcravingsolution.com

*As with any other food, if you have a health condition that requires that you avoid chocolate, please follow your Physician's advice.