A Different Perspective on Food

I attended a zen retreat recently. It was the first one I'd been on since I created and started helping others do The Peak Condition Project, so I was curious about how my perspective had changed on the zen style of eating. (I've written a great deal about Zen eating habits and even made this video which people seem to like.)

Zen eating is a peculiar thing for most people. For one, it is always done in silence. Eating in silence with others is a great feeling, and an amazing community spirit builds up without saying a single word. If you've never had the experience organize a silent meal with your family or friends sometime.


The food at a Zen meal is served quite ritualistically, with lots of chanting, bowing, gasshos, and waiting for everyone to be served. There is such a reverence for the serving portion that many first time Zen meal participants aren't ready for what comes next.

Bam! Like a starter's pistol has been fired, the leader starts eating, and by eating I mean shoveling food down his gullet at an alarming pace. This might be becoming rarer, but if you end up with an older Japanese master as the leader, be prepared to see an intense blur of chopsticks multitasking between rice, soup, and pickles.

The tricky bit is that when the master finishes his meal, everyone finishes. It doesn't matter if you've only just started on your rice, the meal is over. Not only will you still be hungry, but you'll have committed the big Buddhist no-no of wasting food.

The result is that everyone starts racing furiously to finish before the leader, and the meal can be quite an ordeal, especially for foreign guests with less-than-stellar chopstick skills. I encountered one guy, who, sneaking snacks between meditation sessions, growled, "Why don't we do a few less minutes of bloody chanting and a few more minutes of actually eating the bloody food..."

This quirk of Zen retreats drives people bananas. You spend all day learning to nurture your mindful attention on the present moment, taking 45 minutes to carefully sweep a room, and then at meal time it all seems to go out the window, just when you'd actually like to take the time to enjoy the carefully prepared food.

I used to really hate the rushed meals too, especially after the warm-fuzzies you get on a Thich Nhat Hanh retreat where you're encouraged to chew every bite 30 times to truly appreciate the complex flavors that are present in simple foods when properly masticated.

This time however, with PCP eyes, I started to see the underlying belief system that leads to Zen speed eating. It was there all the time, I just wasn't ready to understand it. The answer can be found in one of those annoying chants you have to do before the meal. Below is an English translation:

We reflect on the effort that brought this food and consider how it comes to us.
We reflect on our virtue and practice, and whether we are worthy of this offering.
We regard it as essential to keep the mind free from excesses such as greed.
We regard the food as good medicine to sustain our life.
For the sake of enlightenment we now receive this food.

The fourth line is the key. We regard this food as good medicine to sustain our life. Think about that. Think about the last time you were sick and had to take an antibiotic. You didn't look forward to it, you didn't relish the coating and flavor of the pill, you just opened the bottle, put it on your tongue, took a swig of water to down the thing, and went on with your day. Presumably, a Zen priest is merely getting his sustenance with the same efficiency and non-attachment as you took that pill. He just wants to get on with the important work of gaining enlightenment.

Modern culture abhors the idea of food as medicine. Each meal strives to be an event in itself. Flavors compete to get the tongue's attention as the eaters comment enthusiastically about how good this dish is or how poor that one is. Especially as food manufacturers have figured out how to cram even more flavor into our meals, we've all become gourmands. And each year, in an attempt to please ever dulled palates, the sodium and sugar levels creep up and up as our waistlines creep out and out.

There's some merit to reorienting yourself to the idea that the food you eat is more medicine than entertainment. This perspective tends to pop the bubble that delicious food can sometimes create, as you picture how happy a given meal will make you (a happiness that fades soon after the first few bites). If you're just eating to sustain yourself, there's less tendency to crave over-the-top flavors and artificial food products. Your body knows intrinsically that, in terms of medicine, Cheetos are less appealing than apples.

However, I'm not sold on wolfing down plain food as the best way to eat. As a Buddhist would say, there's a middle way here.

I think we can take the best of both worlds. The appreciation Western culture has for taste, texture, and presentation, with the Zen lack of extravagance and attachment. Simple, wholesome foods, prepared with care, shared with friends, and respected on both levels, as medicine and a shared culinary experience. Eaten at a normal speed, not too fast, but also not awkwardly slow.

I know that's a tall order. If I'm lucky I can get a half dozen of those kind of meals in a busy week. Life doesn't always allow them. But you'll look and feel so much better if you can start incorporating them into your routine.

And as a final note, Zen retreat food is far from perfect (Although light years better than the average Western meal). It's waaaay too light on the vegetables and tends to fill people up with empty carbs. Also, fruit is entirely absent. It might be ok if you're spending several hours a day on the meditation cushion, but won't get you anywhere near Peak Condition. So take the "food as medicine" portion as a useful reminder and leave the rest.

(Silent gassho to you!)

The Key to Growth? Embracing the Suck.

Imagine you're going to take a helicopter tour of the city. You're chatting amiably with the pilot as the chopper warms up, and ask about his experience flying. He answers:

"Well, I've got one of the smoothest take-offs in the business. And you won't see a finer bank and turn 'round these parts. Of course I tend to botch the landings 9 times out of 10..."

"What! You can't be serious."

"Well, landing is hard, and it's so much more fun just to fly around. So I didn't practice much... anyway, she's all ready to lift-off. Step aboard!"

You might take a pass on the helicopter tour. It's clear that the takeoff, flying, and landing are all key to becoming a licensed pilot.

However, when it comes to their bodies, many people are quite happy to settle for 2 out of 3.

For me, a truly healthy person will be above all things well-rounded. This means appreciable levels of strength, cardiovascular health, flexibility, a reasonable body fat percentage, as well as a whole host of more specific techniques like correct breathing, mental control, and the ability to choose a proper diet. I could go on and on, getting more and more specific, but I'll save that for another format.

The point is that mastering one area of your body, while being better than nothing, is still a long way from true health. You might be familiar with one of these types:

• The buffed up gym guy who can't touch his toes or clasp his hands behind his back.

• The gym dude whose upper body is totally ripped but who has little chicken legs.

• The girl who eats sensible portions of healthy food, but gets winded going up two flights of stairs.

• The lithe yoga lady who can put her legs behind her head but can't do a push-up.

• The massively strong bouncer or piano mover who carries an extra 40 pounds around their gut.

• The marathoner whose muscle is so stringy as to make them look sickly, even as they run incredible distances.

• The "master meditators" who can do hours of meditation, hands resting on their fat bellies.

These are all examples of people who've gotten on top of one aspect of conditioning but neglected other areas. Again, all of these are much better than the slob on the couch (but I figure if you're reading this article you're not one of those types anyway, and aren't satisfied with being slightly above average).

If you know you have a blindspot, why not just turn around and face it head on? If you can't touch your toes, cut 10 minutes from your strength building routine for a deep forward bend stretch. If you know your legs aren't looking as strong as your top, spend a few weeks with the squat and lunge until things come into balance. If you're an ace at meditation how about spending a little less time on the cushion and a little more in the kitchen, learning how to cook fresh, healthy meals?

The solutions are pretty obvious, but very few people will do them. The reason? Working on your weak points isn't much fun. Why? Because you suck at them. That's why they're weak points. This natural law will really get you over time. Each week that you favor the things you're good at and skip or half-ass your way through the weak points, you only lock in the unbalance.

So if there's an exercise or an activity that you really hate, it's probably a good sign that you need to do it more. I spent years refining my inverted yoga poses so that they're the absolute "best 'round these parts."But the whole time I neglected my legs, especially my groin, because, well, I looked and felt like a beginner when I did them. One day I just got sick of it and vowed not to spend another second in a flashy inversion until I got a handle on my leg stretches. I spent the next two years on them.


Now I find myself drifting towards leg work because it's so fun now. This is a warning sign that it's time to find another weak point to address in my yoga practice. Maybe backbends.

Working with things you suck at is both humbling and empowering. And as you shore up the parts of you that are weakest, your standard of what is acceptable will only get higher and higher. If you consistently work on your weak areas, you'll wake up one day to find that they've become your strong points. And you've left the others in the dust.

I give this advice to some people, and they seem daunted. But I HATE lunges, I'm lousy at jumpropes, I don't have the time to cook healthy food. Recognize that your mind will throw up a lot of smoke when you contemplate doing anything you're not good at. Take it slow, think in years rather than weeks, and do it with a light, joyful touch.

Improving yourself is fun. Even if you're bad at it.

Dealing with Cravings

You know the feeling, you're going along with your day, and suddenly, you've GOT to have a certain food. Different people have different weaknesses; chocolate, potato chips, french fries, diet coke, etc... the list is varied but usually the food you can't go another second without isn't particularly good for you. It's rare to hear someone say, "stop right there I've GOT to have an asparagus" (well, PCPers say stuff like that, but that's a different story)

Cravings are funny things. They seem so small and immaterial from the outside. But when you're in the heart of a craving, it can seem to fill up every nook and cranny of your brain, demanding gratification. It seems that your body is being pushed by some invisible hand toward the snack aisle or fast food place, and saying "no" simply isn't an option.

Most people never even make it that far into a craving however. They feel the urge and without much thought follow through on it. In a very real sense, for the duration of the craving, they ARE the craving, or at least a vehicle for the craving to satisfy itself. A few years of doing as your cravings command will get you looking like the average American... heavy.


Now there's a lot of interesting stuff about the brain chemistry of cravings (dopamine centers firing, etc...) but that's not very real to most people so let's leave it aside for now. For our purposes, let's think of a craving as a super charged thought. And, lucky for you, as a zen teacher dealing with extraneous thoughts is what I do for a living.

All too many people live their lives like one of the toys in the video below. (I've made this comparison before on Zen is Stupid).



The ball is kind of like your mind. It pivots around fairly incoherently and we, like the weasel, get jerked along too. So, the thought/feeling of "there is anger" comes through as "I'm angry." We can spend years and years getting jerked around by untamed thoughts if we're not aware of one thing:

A thought, including a craving, is a flimsy thing.

With some practice and training you can learn to see your thoughts more like mischievous neighborhood kids than all-controlling masters of your destiny. They're not bad in themselves but they will get you into trouble if you follow them blindly.

So, for a simple exercise, just start talking to your thoughts as they arise.

"Mmm, a cookie would go really well with this coffee."
"I hear you. A cookie would be great. But not today. I know you want one, but it's not worth the layer of fat it'll put on us."
"Oh come on, it's just a cookie."
"You're right, it's just a cookie, but if I listen to you on this how will I ever get in the habit of accomplishing the things I really want? Sorry. No cookie today"
"Jeeze, you're such a party pooper!"

I know I know, this seems a little schizophrenic. But it's not really. It's just a way of making the point that you are much bigger than the little thoughts that occupy your mind most of the day. If you practice like this for a while you'll see that the mental chatter takes on a comfortable shorthand.

"Cookie with the coffee?"
"Sounds good, but no"
"Sure?"
"Yep, there are more important things."
"Cool"

This will all happen in the flash of an eye and seems pretty minor. But a lifetime built upon these wise decisions will be a long and healthy one.

You can practice this "befriending and talking to your cravings" with food very frequently, as food issues are guaranteed to crop up a few times a day. The magic is that your brain will start to carry it over into many areas of your life. Some examples:

"Take the money?"
"It'd be nice, but it's not really ours."
"Sure?"
"Yep, it's just 100 bucks."
"Cool."

or

"Sleep with this woman?"
"It'd be fun, but I value my marriage."
"Sure?"
"Yep, pretty damn sure."
"Cool."

Feel free to do all manner of push-ups, curls, dips, and crunches, but the most important part of your body to strengthen is the few inches between your ears. A strong mind is the keystone of a healthy body and an ethical life.

And you can start training right now, by not mindlessly eating the next junky thing your brain comes up with.

Only 30 Days! Unbelievable!

As I was clicking through YouTube a few days ago this ad came up in the right hand corner. I've been meaning to talk about this for a while and now seems as good a time as any what with last week's post about women's perceptions of their bodies.

Here's the ad. A classic before and after shot.

Now I know your first reaction is "impossible!" or "yeah right, 30 days my ass, that's probably the same guy after 6 months." But I'm inclined to believe that this is a real 30 days before and after shot. How is it possible to "Gain" so much "Muscle" and look that great after just 30 days?

This is a classic trick that these types of exercise programs will pull on people who don't know any better. So let's make sure you all know better.

First off, check the before picture. The guy looks like a pretty schlumpy, joe six-pack type. But a closer inspection will reveal he's actually in rather good shape. The evidence? First, look at the area around his hips. You can clearly see that distinctive notch where his pelvic bone is outlined.


I've worked with all kinds of people and can tell you from experience that notch only becomes visible when the body fat gets to around 10-12%. So this guy is clearly already working with a low body fat that only comes from consistent workouts and a good diet. A truly chubby guy wouldn't have that notch as it would be covered and softened by a few extra layers of subcutaneous fat.

Next, check his pectoral muscles. There is a clear square shape going on here, which I've illustrated below.Do you see the way his pecs have a straight line on the lower and middle edge? That's not what fat looks like. Again, it's apparent this guy has a lot of muscle and works out. A truly husky guy would have the traditional man-boob shape, a curve along the bottom without much of a break between the pecs, as Tony Blair models for us.
Ok, so what exactly is going on here? If the before guy is in such good shape why does he look so schlumpy? Three reasons.

1. The picture was taken "cold". Meaning his muscles were completely relaxed. Muscles are incredibly changeable things. They can double in size and get razor sharp definition with a good pump. You can see the guy on the left is completely relaxed and in the middle of an exhalation when the abs are invisible, while "30 days later" man is pumped to the hilt. That alone would account for most of the "Gained Muscle"

2. The lighting is soft and mainly from behind in the original photo, casting a shadow over the torso and removing the chance to see any tone. The second picture has a much harsher light above and slightly in front, which maximizes the appearance of tone as it casts strong shadows into the valleys and lines between muscles. You've probably had this same experience where you look really good in some mirrors in your house and less than ideal in others. It's all about where the lights are.

3. Hygiene. The "After" guy has obviously gotten a hair cut (and dye?), found his smile, and slathered himself in suntan oil. These small details will automatically make him look fitter and more appealing.

To prove these points I've taken two pictures in my laundry room. The first is a cold relaxed shot with backlighting and a po-po face. The second is stronger front lighting after 10 pull-ups, 30 sit-ups, and 20 push ups for a very mild pump. I also shaved, combed my hair and via a filter added some warmth to simulate the tanned effect. Total time between the two shots? Five minutes. I tried to keep the time between shots as short as I could, with a full workout and a big pump the results would be even more "impressive."

So here's what I think is going on here. This guy is a pro or semi-pro bodybuilder. (In the second picture he's executing one of the mandatory poses that all bodybuilders must do in competition.) Just like any sport, bodybuilding has an off season and on season. The first picture was probably taken in a break period, when bodybuilders relax their diets, gain a bit of padding, and work hard on building muscle. Then in the 4-6 weeks before they compete they drastically cut their body fat with the hopes that the muscle that is also lost in the process is offset by the extra they gained during the off season.

The irony here is the the before guy was probably stronger than the after guy, because of the muscle loss that occurred during the dramatic loss of body fat.

If anything, the ad is an example of fat loss, not muscle gain. I wonder if they'll get around to telling you how to lose fat when you purchase their program? Or will they send you to the gym with a handful of weight training exercises and say "Good luck, sucker!"

Now I don't mean to single this ad out, at no point do they say that the before man was just some average guy off the street. But what this ad and ads like it is imply people can make these kinds of gains starting at zero. It's simply not possible. It's not how the body works. It defies physics.

Laying down a foundation of visible muscle takes months of patience and discipline. Once you've attained a decent level of fitness and body fat, you can start to do these one month hardcore training sessions and get eye popping results. But it's not necessary and doesn't make you any healthier.

And far too many people sign up thinking their going to look like "After Guy" and when they don't, give up training all together and feel both slightly ripped off and disappointed in themselves.

So now you know what's up with these before and after pictures and can spot the tricks of the trade from a mile away. Forget these kind of claims and just start taking care of the body you have today. That means a good diet, consistent exercise, and a much longer time table than 30 days. Go get 'em!