Happiness By Not Overeating

by Gavin
(Cape Town, South Africa)

These simple eating tips for happiness really do work! I've experienced it myself. By eating in this way, immediately after a meal you have a physical feeling in your body of a kind of tingling joy. Some call it bliss. I just call it a feeling of happiness and 'feeling good'.

In the ancient scriptures of several religions advice is given to avoid gluttony. It is even referred to as one of the deadly sins. And, sin is defined as "an act that is regarded by theologians as a transgression of God's will." In other words, eating more than the body really needs is not in accord with natural law. So, it works in opposition to the body's natural tendency to support happiness and joy.

As so often happens, the original meanings of words tend to shift over time. Today I'm sure that the word gluttony is considered to mean something more like really, really overeating -- stuffing oneself and becoming a fat, greedy glutton. I personally feel it means simply eating more that the body needs at any given time in order for it to produce 'happy chemicals'.

So ... here's how it works for me, as far as food quantity is concerned. If I follow good eating practice, after a meal I feel light and comfortable, energetic and happy -- I mean, a real physical sensation of joy, not just feeling pleased with myself that I didn't overeat.

And here are some of those good eating practices I refer to:

• Sit down to eat.


• Eat in a settled atmosphere.


• Eat with attention on the meal, and not on reading something or watching TV.


• Eat to the point where you first have the feeling that you have had enough to eat; where you know that eating any more would simply be to appease the taste buds or cravings, rather than for nutrition and energy.

Often just one more mouthful can tip the happiness scales in the wrong direction. If I stop eating when I have had enough, which is before any sensation that my tummy is full, then I feel really good after the meal. I feel light, with increased energy and zest, and I feel happy. It's great!

More details about eating and digestion are given in the Self-Health Plan that is available free of charge from this website.

In the meantime, why not try this basic happiness tip about not overeating, and come back here to let us know via the comments link how you felt afterwards. (Overweight people will probably find too that their weight starts to normalize as a result.)

~ Gavin

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