Good book...

Currently reading a book called Calm Energy: how people regulate mood with food and exercise.

I'm not very far into it. Somewhere in chapter two, actually. But so far I feel like I've gotten a lot out of it.

Basically the author puts forth that we eat according to our moods, and that our moods correspond to our energy levels. For instance he mentioned that diets tend to be broken at night, which if you've been reading really strikes a cord with me.

I don't know how many of you are trekkies. I always picture the number to be small, but in any given social circle, I seem to find one. But in all this "controlling your mood" talk going on in the book, I picture Spock.

I do admire Spock. He was so in control of his emotions and his mind. It takes a lot to control your emotions. The Author has an interesting way of looking at one's general mood when he discusses correlating it with energy. It seemed like a Vulcan way of looking at things. We shouldn't just eat without considering our reasons for it. We have to learn to understand our motivation for the things we do and approach the problem with rationality I think looking at things as a matter of energy is an effective way to look at eating. That is, after all, what a calorie is. A measure of the energy required to burn off the item.

Essentially, he says that the world has become a more stressful place, and that the obesity epidemic is the result of our inability to cope with that stress in healthy ways. He mentioned the evolutionary aspect I mused about in an earlier post, actually.

So to successfully understand our moods and emotions, we have to look at what's causing them, and how we cope with them should be a longer-lasting than the short-term pick-me-up a binge brings on.

He suggests more healthful alternatives to seeking food for that mood-lift, like exercising, listening to music, keeping busy, and socializing.

I should mention that the book isn't at all anti-food and simply maintaining your diet, if that isn't clear. It's about being able to pick out your natural appetite from lifting your mood.

I think my long term goal is to become a Vulcan. Sounds goofy, doesn't it?

But to be healthful and rational through understanding myself? That should be everyone's goal.

I'll probably post more about the book when I'm done with it.