Dr. Norris Chumley: December 2008 Archives

There's a new fad for this New Years, and for Common New Years Resolutions -- of course, there's a new diet fad every New Year.  I'm skeptical.

It's called "Sassy Water," a part of a new book titled "Flat Belly Diet."

The premise as I understand it, is to reduce bloating by drinking a lot of "Sassy Water" a special concoction of water, ginger, lemon and cucumber juice.  Also, I hear it's about limiting calories and fats, eating mostly fruits and vegetables.

I'm going to pass this one up, and stay with the sensible, tried and proven method -- a structured food plan that includes a lot of vegetables and fruit, along with a little meat and carbohydrates.  Mostly, though, it's important to feed yourself regularly so you don't get ravenously hungry -- and to understand what's motivating overeating and interactivity in the first place!  In other words, I don't believe in magical, fad, short-term weight loss diets at all.

I believe in redefining "diet" to mean moderate, sensible eating.

Of course, drinking water is a good idea.  Putting a little flavor in it is great, too.  Pretty sassy.


Remember: Check my "Dr. Norris Chumley SATISFIED LIFE" blog daily for weight loss and well being inspiration and tips, and add an RSS feed so you never miss anything!

It is deep winter and it has been very cold up north.  There is lots of snow on the ground; ice on the roads and sidewalks make moving treacherous.  The trees are bare.  The birds are searching non-stop for scarce seeds.  The garden is long dormant; the stalks and herbs all frost-bitten and long fallen.

We had a very rare breeze of warmth the other day, a few days before the New Year.  It was almost 50 degrees on the mountain, in the dead of winter!  Thanks to clouds that moved enough to let some rays shine through, the snow and ice were melting - the runoff water was flowing.  

In our sleeping garden my straggly grape vines hung all intertwined in the fence, unruly and overgrown.  So many days of temperatures below freezing and harsh north winds had kept me away from a job I knew would mean frozen fingers, windburn, and the risk of rushed over-pruning.  I should have pruned two or three months ago, but I just didn't have time or desire for such a big no-fun job.  Yet, if I did not prune them, we wouldn't have many grapes come summer.  If I put it off much longer, the canes would soon begin to bud and it would be too late.  Truth be told, I didn't prune at all last year, and the grapes were a mess: too many vines, few clusters, and resultant fungus did them in.  These are special and beloved vines: my sons and I planted them many years ago.

So I seized the moment on that mild winter afternoon, with a balmy front of rain and snow to come that night.  There wasn't a moment to spare. With resurrected summer garden gloves on hand and sheers in hand, I set forth to cut out the old and bring in the new.  Totally unexpected, the pruning of the vines became my lesson for the New Year.

The overgrown and intertwined branches made me think of times I'd been overly ambitious, stretching too far, trying to do too many things, wasting time and money and being self-centered.  I was tangled-up and needed pruned discipline: one clear path that would lead to the priority.  Not a bunch of paths that led me to things and places unimportant.  Snipping the dozens of side branches, focusing on the main trunk and retaining only the primary canes inspired me to focus on what I do best - loving God and doing my best to do His will.  I also needed to prioritize making a living, supporting my family by writing and helping others.  I made a pile to burn the old branches and canes, some even withered and dead.  I asked God for forgiveness for my old fruitless actions and mistakes.

I trusted that the remaining vines, cut to the very quick, would indeed bud once spring arrived.  I said a prayer internally, "God, thank you," and a prayer for the grape vines, trusting that they would survive the remaining deep-freezes, springing anew with new grapes to eat and juice to drink.  What I had dreaded as a no-fun job became something I loved.  The big old trunks were ugly and bare now, but the possibility of the sprouting delicate green buds and fertile hanging grapes to come was enlivening.

No wonder grapes and grapevines are holy.  They teach us so many stories.  They are mentioned throughout the Bible, in both the Hebrew and Christian Bible as symbols of fertility, trust in God, and the hope of the Promised Land.  In Genesis 6 and 9, Noah is symbolically the first human to cultivate grape vines, but then drinks too much fermented juice becoming drunk.  Vineyards awaited the Israelites across the Jordan River holding promise for abundance; Moses receives grapes from his scouts in Numbers 13:23.  Grapes and wine were sacrifices in Leviticus and Exodus. Passover celebrations with family and friends feature wines that are blessed, symbolizing freedom and the promise of new lands and lives.

Christians remember and internalize Jesus Christ's gifts of redemption and salvation from the Last Supper in Matthew 26, symbolized by the eating of unleavened bread as His body and the drinking of wine, as His blood.  His first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding at Cana in Galilee in John 2.  In the grape, there is salvation.

Pruning of the grape vines was a major teaching of Jesus Christ, symbolizing the presence of God in the vineyard and the importance of caring and active maintenance of a physical and spiritual life: God the father as Creator, Christ as the vine, and the church as a kind of garden or fertile garden of God, in John 15:1-8:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

So this New Year, I look back on my pruning experience and feel even closer to God,  cleansed and purged, satisfied by a job well done, just in time.  I cut away the old, non-producing dead vines leaving only the most important bearers of true fruit.  Unfettered and unencumbered by the old, I branch forth anew and so do my holy vines. 

I will lift a glass of sparkling wine (but only one glass) and say a prayer with friends and family to bring in the New Year, thinking of God and thanking Him for the abundant and fruitful blooms of grace and life to come.


Remember: Check my "Dr. Norris Chumley SATISFIED LIFE" blog daily for weight loss and well being inspiration and tips, and add an RSS feed so you never miss anything!

Sugar and sugar addiction is a big topic with me, and I know it is with a lot of our readers, too, going by the number of comments and page views we've received.

Of course, the amounts of food I overate when 400 pounds was a contributing factor to my obesity, as was the types of food.  I overate way too much fatty meats, ice-cream, cheese, and fried foods.

I would say now, some 16+ years in recovery that my worst problem was with sugar.  When I lost the excess weight permanently, entirely through God's help and my determination to unlock several deeply held mysteries, it was sugar that was a leading culprit.

Having read the recent scientific study about sugar addiction actually affecting brain cells, in addition to behaviors that I posted recently, that confirmed what I knew circumstantially in myself - I was, and am still highly addicted to sugar.

Each day I struggle to not overeat sweets, or high-sugar content foods like cookies, candy, cakes, ice-cream.  As much as God has removed my compulsions and intense cravings, the addiction is still inside me and I must surrender it daily to God and work really hard not to overeat it.  It's best I avoid sugar completely.

I believe I lost a lot of weight so many years ago by completely abstaining from sugar.  I couldn't do it alone; it was only by the grace of God.  That's how much sugar was a problem for me.

This holiday season, like every other each year, there were lots of sugar-laden "treats" around.  I baked cookies (but far fewer that years ago), I was given chocolate candy for gifts, and candy-canes were hanging from stockings with glee...  At times I did catch myself eating too much, and I had to pray and ask God for relief.  I received help with the addiction every time, as always.

It's clear to me that that sugar addiction is permanently etched into my brain-cells, and affects my body chemistry.  Something to always be vigilant about.  I recommend to you what I do for myself:  I either avoid sugar entirely, or work to limit it, only eating what my structured Food Plan allocates for myself.  This is determined individually, with an adviser or counselor. (I'd be happy to help you with this: details on my website www.NorrisChumley.com)  When I'm off sugar, I have some fruit if I experience a "sweet tooth," but it takes awhile to wean myself off sugar to get to that point.

I guess being given problems to solve, and life itself is the real sweetness I crave.


Remember: Check my "Dr. Norris Chumley SATISFIED LIFE" blog daily for weight loss and well being inspiration and tips, and add an RSS feed so you never miss anything!

I love the comments everyone made this week.  So many great thoughts and experiences on detoxing, fasting, sugar addiction, nighttime eating, Spirit, Reasons for the Season, and on and on.  Wow!  We have such a great community here.  Please return often, keep reading and posting.  Everyone is important, and everyone's comments are read by a lot of people and appreciated.

This week, I want to honor Elizabeth Hunt's comment post, and God.  Read what she wrote!  Perhaps you will be touched and moved by it, as I was when I read it.

"I have had to go very deep inside to my God essence to discover who I really am. All of the things around me are only minimal compared to my soul that connects to God. In quiet meditation I am able to reach that most holy place. This place where I feel the connection with God and I know that I am his child and I am loved. Sometime when I am feeling down I say, God loves me, God loves me at lest ten times and I get a warm feeling inside. This for me is very powerful knowing I am loved by the highest."

I am with you, Elizabeth, knowing that "God essence" inside me protects and rescues me when I think my problems are insolvable, or when I feel worried, alone or blue.  Being a recovered compulsive overeater, I know that it was God who guided me through my darkest, worst times of obesity.  Now, I go to God inside as much as possible, in good times or bad, and feel His infinite love.

Thank you so much for reminding me, and everyone who reads this column.

If you overate yesterday, I have some suggestions.

Appreciate: Say thanks to God for your life, and for your family and beloved friends.

Have enough: Appreciate what you have, the gifts you gave and ones you received.

Be enough:  Know that you are part of God's creation, and that you are valuable.

Pray for forgiveness and get back on your food plan: just get right back to eating in moderation, with all consciousness.

Go for a vigorous walk, or do some yoga.

Know that you are not alone, and that millions of people around the world overate.  It doesn't mean the end of the world; it just means you were celebrating.  Now, celebrate the new day by taking good care of your health and psyche.  I find it's very important to not get into self-shame and self-defeating behavior, because that can cause me to overeat again to feel better.  The best idea for me is to feel better by connecting with God and by being active in my life, not getting into self-pity or personal recrimination and punishment.  I think positively, and love profusely.

As a Christian, a follower of Christ, I love the Christmas holiday not only because it is a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but also that it is a time of hope and transcendence.  If you...

I've been baking some Christmas cookies this morning and afternoon: some butterscotch oatmeal, and whole wheat sugar cookies for decorating.Always baking, especially for holidays, Christmas cookies are a favorite of mine.  It's just not the holidays without them!  This year,...

As snow begins to fall and the deep freeze of winter sets in, we again gather with family and friends, singing and dancing around the Christmas tree or lighting the menorah or Kwanzaa candles. All will be well as we...

We'd probably all love to hear what hopes, joys, challenges and gratitude you are experiencing this Holiday Season.Please comment below, right now, and I'll pull a few together and add my own in an article shortly.Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Good...

I continue to be completely delighted with our community and all the really great comments.  Many thanks!  We are soooo cool and connected!This week, my hat tips to Bobbie, for the comment written in last week's "Comment of the Week." ...

Try this meditation today. It's very peaceful. Do it BEFORE you overeat. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Focus your mind's attention on your breathing: in and out, in and out. Do this for as long as you can. End...

There is only so much you can do well. You may want to be perfect, or do everything in the whole wide world, but alas--there are limits. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, don't try to do...

A friend has been singing the praises of detoxing and cleansing for the better part of a year.  He even gave me his old vegetable and fruit juicer, along with a list of supplements he swears by. Every time I...

I want to give you my eclectic list of recommendations for great books on religion, spiritual practice, and health. In no particular order, just a short list of books that came out or that I discovered this year, 2008, that...

I just had a little lunch with an old friend.  He reminds me of the way things are in the world right now - we're lucky to have what we have.He said he was worried he was about to lose...

There's been a lot of interest in my articles on nighttime eating, and many people have written comments about it I thought I'd take a moment to get back to the subject.I love the suggestions that several of you made: ...

I am SO delighted today.Not just because I am alive again today (yes, God woke me up this morning and I thank Him).  Not just because it is a beautiful day.  Not just because I am so lucky to be...

Instead of a big lunch or dinner, have only one sandwich or small plate of food. Then use the extra time to get full from something else -- like being in nature or having a good conversation with friends. Or...

Life is really very simple. Love God with everything you've got, in every way, and stop worrying. That may sound too simple, but if you test it day by day in your own life, as I have, you'll find that...

Science finally caught up with what I've suspected for years: sugar is definitely, conclusively addictive, and causes permanent brain changes.  It has the same negative effect on the brain as heroin or cocaine!At the annual American College of Neuropsychopharmacology meeting...

First, I would never be so presumptuous to claim that I know God, or am with God.  In an attempt to honor Him and to remain humble at the same time, I acknowledge God's grace in my life, and I...

How do you experience, or know God?  Or perhaps you don't feel you do.  Please tell us in a comment by posting below.Perhaps you pray out loud, or in silence. May be you know God in church, or at home,...

Announcing my new endeavor.  Each week on Monday I'll pick the COMMENT OF THE WEEK from the previous week.The weekly most insightful, experiential, authentic posting by you, our readers!This is a badge of honor, a place of distinction for helping...

I am really "fed-up" with being only thought of as a "consumer!"Here we are with years of world financial problems that we're trying to solve, years of massive "consumer" spending and over-spending, debt and mortgage crises, foreclosures, people losing jobs...

Here's a delicious sandwich. Take a yellow squash, a zucchini, a carrot, a green or yellow pepper, some onion and mushrooms. Cut them in long, narrow strips. Now get a skillet, put in 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a vegetable...

Go out bird watching today. See how many birds you can find, and make a list. Listen to their sweet songs. Hear how many different sounds the birds make, and see if you can identify the bird with her song....

The only successful method for losing weight is to start new healthy habits and keep them going, not just quickly drop a bunch of poundage on a crash diet. This is not new information!  I'm sure you know this.  What's...

We've been discussing the problem of nighttime eating, and NES (Nighttime Eating Syndrome) several times in the last couple of weeks here.  It seems a lot of us experience this. I read and really appreciate your comments. It's good to...

It snowed last night, so this morning the kids and I went sledding down our hill.  I rousted them out of bed, so we could go out before it melted.Once out the door and gathering and dragging the sleds up...

Here's how to make a hamburger that is lower in fat, but high in flavor.  Please watch!...

Just a quick post, with a question and a comment.  How are you feeling a few days after the holiday?  Please make me and all our readers very happy, and post a comment below, and let us all know we're...

Feeling a little down after the Thanksgiving holiday?  Turkey's done, family and friends gone away, back at work, back to the same old grind?Go outside, move and breathe.I think that using your body, being physical and getting the blood and...

Turns out, our family already has plenty.  We don't need much more for the holidays.  So why spend a lot of money and buy more "stuff?"  I think we should spend less money, use what we have, be less "materially...