The New Human Condition

Ok, the title might be a bit dramatic, but having too much clutter around you can definitely have an impact on your quality of life. Too many physical items around can distract you from your day-to-day goals, and even impact you emotionally (there is a reason why “Zen gardens” are extremely simple in design).

My room tends to look like this if I let it go for too long...

Here are some of the ways too much clutter can have an effect:

Physical:

Besides the obvious hazard of having too much stuff lying around, clutter can lead to physical damage of items or a living space. Things that are not kept organized can destroy items which may be of value, or ruin sensitive parts of a home or living space.

Mental:

Having random items scattered everywhere can make it hard to concentrate on just one thing. So many things are trying to stimulate your senses at one time that it becomes hard to focus your mental energy.

Spiritual:

Going along with mental effects…clutter distracts you from focusing on your own spiritual practice. This is especially true when it comes to focusing spiritual energy in prayer or meditation. Items that are nearby or forced to see will continue to enter your mind and distract you from making the spiritual connection you are trying to make.

Time:

Having too many things can be a huge time-waster as well. Sorting through things, moving them around, and trying to locate certain items will take longer. Time is valuable and should be used for productive means, not digging through a pile of useless items.

Wealth:

The clutter lying around could be worth something. Gather your things, and sell them at a garage sale or on eBay. Not only will you un-clutter your life, you could get a few dollars for your things in return.

Joe Culture Consumerism, Time Management

More and more studies are coming out that show the growth of organic foods in supermarkets across the U.S. This growth is led solely by consumer demand for these products! This is a great thing! People are demanding more organic and fair-trade options when they shop for groceries.

The largest growth category has been in Meats, followed closely by Dairy, then Fruits and Vegetables. These are the three categories that can also be the healthiest for the consumer. These types of products are not a combination of different ingredients to form something new. Rather they are what they are. When we eat an apple, we eat an apple, chicken is chicken, etc. Whatever these plants or animals comsumed during their lifespan, we also consume. If they had been ingested processed food and chemicals, that passes on to us directly. But if they have eaten a natural organic diet, we reap the benefits.

There are only good things to come from this increase in consumer demand. Keep it up!

Joe Culture, Food and Nutrition Organic

Chocolate, potato chips, soda…these are just some of the foods that come to mind during a long afternoon or a late night. In between meals, cravings for certain foods can popup unexpectedly and be very persistent. (My personal craving lately has been chocolate milk…I love it!). The problem is that these cravings tend to be very sweet or salty foods. .

Cravings are caused by multiple factors:

Most likely, your body could be craving a specific nutrient or element present in some type of food. If you are craving meat, you could be low on protein or iron for example. If you are tired, you could crave a sugary soda or candy for that instant energy boost it would give you. Listening to your body is a great way to guide your eating choices, but recognize when a craving for junk food and try to substitute a naturally sweet or salty food instead.

Another reason you crave certain foods could be the way they make you feel. If you have associated certain emotional moods with certain foods this can happen a lot. McDonald’s goes out of its way to make sure kids have fun at their in-store birthday parties. They associate McDonald’s with a fun atmosphere and good food. Later in life, they will probably get some of the same emotions by eating that food from their childhood. Along the same line, eating a lot carbohydrates can trigger the release of serotonin, a mood-calming chemical produced by your body (ever feel extremely relaxed and sleepy after eating a plate full of pasta?)

Food cravings can also be triggered by your environment. Like McDonald’s, a lot of places try to associate certain foods with certain feelings. This is why you crave popcorn when you walk into a movie theatre, but not when you walk into a grocery store. When you feel a craving coming on, take a few minutes to think if it’s just the environment influencing you to eat that particular food.

What can you do?

I really like the advice of author Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. Try to eat good food regularly. Avoid the processed sugary and salty foods present in vending machines and convenience stores. Eat regular meals. Including a good hearty breakfast. And if you just have to have a certain food or drink, do it sparingly. Eat a few chips instead of the whole bag, take a few sips of soda and then throw the rest away. If you want chocolate, skip the Hershey’s bar and eat a small piece or two of a good organic chocolate.

Cravings themselves aren’t bad. Just listen to your body and make smart choices throughout the day.

Joe Food and Nutrition, Health Food Cravings