This month's article was provided to you by Laura Wittke, Registered Dietitian of Henderson, Nevada. It just goes to show you that not only does your relationship with food parallel every other relationship in your life, but your relationship with your refrigerator parallels every other relationship in your life as well!

THE METAPHYSICS OF YOUR FRIDGE

What does metaphysics have to do with your refrigerator? Or more to the point, what does your refrigerator have to do with your life? Recently while staying with friends I opened their fridge to store some of my food I had brought with me. There was no room for even a small carton of yogurt - their refrigerator was packed to overflowing, each shelf stacked 2 or 3 layers deep. I could not even see all the way to the back. Odd shapes wrapped in foil and plastic bags of mystery meat impeded free flow of air, the door was laden with jars less than half full, and there was a musty smell.

Rather than abundance, I noticed a sense of stagnation. The motor was straining to capacity to keep all this food cold, and I made a bet with myself that if I tested the temperature it would be above the 40* safe upper limit.

I reflected on my dear friend, the owner of this fridge. She is a small person carrying around almost half- again her normal weight. She is cheerful, voluble, and a positive and delightful force in her world - but her excess weight is affecting her health, and she feels the extra pounds slowing her down and interfering with her favorite things in life - gardening and playing with her grandchildren.

Many years ago I ventured forth to a clothing-optional community to stay with friends for the weekend. This was a big stretch for me, and as I began to learn to get over my own inhibitions, one seemingly unrelated memory looms large. Their refrigerator was so engorged that it appeared ready to spew forth its contents, unable to hold even one more bite. The lady of the house, as the song says, was "like a brick house" - solid and square, with 75 or more extra pounds on her frame. She seemed sad and withdrawn, bereft of a physical barrier (clothes) between her and the world, but with a defending wall of flesh.

In these 2 instances the women so happened to be stewards of the refrigerators. I have seen other households where the fridges reflected the inner workings of the man of the house who took responsibility for grocery shopping and cooking. Before we are tempted to lapse into judgment, either of the refrigerators or the people who own them, let us remind ourselves that we all outpicture our "stuff". This is a good thing, because through these manifestations we get clues to what is going on inside us.

Here are some questions for reflection:

• When I open the door of my refrigerator, what feelings do I get?
• Does energy circulate well?
• Are the veggies still "alive" - green, fresh, crisp?
• Do I have a sense of appropriate abundance? Stifling excess? Or lack and poverty?
• How old is the "stuff" in jars? What can I release?
• How does this fridge reflect my own inner storage - what am I hanging onto? How is this serving me?

Inner Door Center for Comprehensive Eating Disorder Prevention, Treatment and Support



We are the first comprehensive eating disorder program in Michigan offering a viable alternative to residential care for medically stable individuals or those who do not meet criteria for inpatient/residential treatment. We also offer step- down programs for those discharged from inpatient treatment. Feel free to contact us as you may be able to access your health insurance, in some cases, for this particular program.

Check our upcoming Reconnect with Food upcoming series beginning Wednesday, March 25th

Namaste'

Beverly Price