Talk will offer nourishing thoughts on food and soul

Fellow diners have often remarked on how much Sister Rita Jean Dubrey, CSJ, enjoys her food.

Later this month, she plans to spread that love: On April 27, she will lead a workshop at the Dominican Spiritual Life Center in Niskayuna on "The Spirituality of Food."

"I absolutely love teaching this program!" enthused Sister Rita Jean, who directs the Center for Complementary Therapies at St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam. "People love to look at food this way."

Link to God

Americans, Sister Rita Jean noted, aren't newcomers to a love affair with food, but she plans to go beyond the usual discussions of diet tips and fast-food documentaries to another level: how food can connect people to God.

"This is not a left-brain approach in the sense of counting calories or reading labels," she told The Evangelist. "This is a heart approach: How do I see food? Where does it come from? We can infuse divine energy into what we eat."

Paradoxically, Sister Rita Jean will talk with workshop participants about finding that energy by slowing down. About 20 percent of Americans eat in their cars, she explained, which doesn't help in seeing the spiritual in their food.

"From a Christian perspective, I see a meal as an extension of the Eucharist," she stated. "We need to slow down to see the sacredness of the food we're eating."

Topics

In her talk, Sister Rita Jean will touch on:

* shopping for foods that are fresh and provide vitamins and fiber;

* stopping "emotional eating" when one isn't actually hungry;

* recalling with gratitude, as one prepares food, those who produced it and transported it to grocery stores;

* thinking about the "mystery of life" inherent in seeds and plants; and

* eating as slowly and serenely as one's schedule permits.

Me and you

Food is also a key factor in relationships, according to the speaker. She believes it's important for people who care about each other to eat together and for someone preparing meals for others to think about them during the preparation.

People who habitually eat alone can get a boost by turning on music to accompany their meal, she added.

One thing that won't happen in Sister Rita Jean's workshop is scolding people about what they eat. "I don't judge other people for what they're eating," she said.

The workshop is simply about "raising awareness of eating -- looking at the essence of food, how sacred it is." In fact, she hopes people who do eat the occasional unhealthy food will do so with enjoyment, not guilt.

"Eating food mindfully and being aware of the sacredness advances growth in spirituality," she concluded.

(For "outside reading," Sister Rita Jean recommends "The Healing Secrets of Food: A Practical Guide for Nourishing Body, Mind and Soul" by Deborah Kesten and Dean Ornish. "The Spirituality of Food" will be offered April 27, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Dominican Spiritual Life Center in Niskayuna. Fee is $20. To register, call 393-4169 or email [email protected].)

(4/19/07) [[In-content Ad]]