Hmmmm... I'm really cautious about viewing eating as primarily or majorly an exercise of will, and tend to worry that it devolves into a dysfunctional exercise. I think the primary motivation for evaluating food & food cravings, and probably closer to what you were intending, is not control, but what is best for your body and what it actually needs.
From experience living with people with particular dietary quirks, the desire to not have a food is sometimes a form of emotional craving - as you pointed out, for control.
Far more than sometimes actually, but I'm not sure I've known a representative sample of people. Having a need for external control over their life not being met, it expressed itself in controlling their body, their food intake, or denying their cravings for food full stop. Count the obvious for this under several anorexics. A stereotype, but yes, it was usually an exercise in will, because at some point, they hadn't been able to express their own will, or were insecure about their ability to express it, or were insecure about the control they had over their own life. That sucks. But, I've actually been closer to a lot of people with 'I won't eat...*blah*' food preferences. I've known someone who wouldn't eat any form of spice - from pepper to cumin. Someone who won't eat any fruit, and most veges, especially not moist (I thought they were joking when they hissed at a piece of mango I was offering them, until they reflexively hit my arm away, sending it flying - they'll only eat 'space-potato'). It originated as a form of control, several of them were aware of that origin, but unfortunately, it seems to control them instead, as initial food limitations often grew, and of course, it severely limited many many choices they had available to them in terms of eating, dining and socialising.
I'm sure we agree in general, but it was just the 'upshot' thing that kind of concerned me, as it seemed to read like the point of controlling your food intake is to deny your instincts, that the main benefit is the exercise in will involved in self-denial. To me, that's never the benefit, that's merely the sometimes necessary tool in giving your body what it actually needs. On the otherhand, who am I to talk of willpower? *whistles...*
Anyway, my own less interesting food adventures - apparently both my parents are on gluten free diets, and I especially wouldn't expect that from my father (the Waikato beef farmer...). If I do have even a slight sensitivity (which would seem unlikely but for the above), as while in a fit of pique at the mere thought I might not be able to have gluten, I went out and bought some in the form of muffins, and I realised I'd had to go out and buy some. The only readily available gluten I had at home was some pasta I haven't used in a while. No bread, only wheat-free muelis etc, and I usually eat rice, rice noodles or potatoes. Baked beans rather than spaghetti etc. Hmmm, a little suspicious now that I think about it. I'd do a proper 100% gluten free trial for a bit, then introduce some bread and see how I do. It's hard if I am feeling a little tired not to latch onto any random medical explanation. I think I do fairly well about not doing so, but boy, the amount of time I spend researching to be 'sure'? ;P
Controlling intake is the other side of the coin (as opposed to lack of control of intake) - anorexics commonly end up that way starting from a position of "I can't control anything else in my life, but I CAN control my food." However, that's really a whole other conversation :)
There is also a subtle distinction between free will, self-control & 'control' as you discuss it. I believe that with true, unclouded free will, you don't actually need 'control' (in the rationalist sense). Simply because everything naturally flows as it should. It's things like cravings - automatic responses from below our level of consciousness - that then necessitate stronger levels of control in order to override them.
oh, and re your gluten story. You may find you have 'a reaction' to carbs (which would include potatoes, rice, noodles etc), in that they are notorious for slowing the metabolism (takes a lot of energy to process them). Different from a gluten allergy of course, but a reaction nonetheless.
I'm really cautious about viewing eating as primarily or majorly an exercise of will, and tend to worry that it devolves into a dysfunctional exercise.
I think the primary motivation for evaluating food & food cravings, and probably closer to what you were intending, is not control, but what is best for your body and what it actually needs.
From experience living with people with particular dietary quirks, the desire to not have a food is sometimes a form of emotional craving - as you pointed out, for control.
Far more than sometimes actually, but I'm not sure I've known a representative sample of people.
Having a need for external control over their life not being met, it expressed itself in controlling their body, their food intake, or denying their cravings for food full stop.
Count the obvious for this under several anorexics. A stereotype, but yes, it was usually an exercise in will, because at some point, they hadn't been able to express their own will, or were insecure about their ability to express it, or were insecure about the control they had over their own life.
That sucks.
But, I've actually been closer to a lot of people with 'I won't eat...*blah*' food preferences.
I've known someone who wouldn't eat any form of spice - from pepper to cumin. Someone who won't eat any fruit, and most veges, especially not moist (I thought they were joking when they hissed at a piece of mango I was offering them, until they reflexively hit my arm away, sending it flying - they'll only eat 'space-potato').
It originated as a form of control, several of them were aware of that origin, but unfortunately, it seems to control them instead, as initial food limitations often grew, and of course, it severely limited many many choices they had available to them in terms of eating, dining and socialising.
I'm sure we agree in general, but it was just the 'upshot' thing that kind of concerned me, as it seemed to read like the point of controlling your food intake is to deny your instincts, that the main benefit is the exercise in will involved in self-denial.
To me, that's never the benefit, that's merely the sometimes necessary tool in giving your body what it actually needs.
On the otherhand, who am I to talk of willpower? *whistles...*
Anyway, my own less interesting food adventures - apparently both my parents are on gluten free diets, and I especially wouldn't expect that from my father (the Waikato beef farmer...).
If I do have even a slight sensitivity (which would seem unlikely but for the above), as while in a fit of pique at the mere thought I might not be able to have gluten, I went out and bought some in the form of muffins, and I realised I'd had to go out and buy some.
The only readily available gluten I had at home was some pasta I haven't used in a while. No bread, only wheat-free muelis etc, and I usually eat rice, rice noodles or potatoes. Baked beans rather than spaghetti etc. Hmmm, a little suspicious now that I think about it.
I'd do a proper 100% gluten free trial for a bit, then introduce some bread and see how I do.
It's hard if I am feeling a little tired not to latch onto any random medical explanation. I think I do fairly well about not doing so, but boy, the amount of time I spend researching to be 'sure'?
;P
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" But that might not be so bad, as even..."
Before "if I do have even a slight sensitivity".
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I was talking specifically about cravings.
Controlling intake is the other side of the coin (as opposed to lack of control of intake) - anorexics commonly end up that way starting from a position of "I can't control anything else in my life, but I CAN control my food." However, that's really a whole other conversation :)
There is also a subtle distinction between free will, self-control & 'control' as you discuss it. I believe that with true, unclouded free will, you don't actually need 'control' (in the rationalist sense). Simply because everything naturally flows as it should. It's things like cravings - automatic responses from below our level of consciousness - that then necessitate stronger levels of control in order to override them.
oh, and re your gluten story. You may find you have 'a reaction' to carbs (which would include potatoes, rice, noodles etc), in that they are notorious for slowing the metabolism (takes a lot of energy to process them). Different from a gluten allergy of course, but a reaction nonetheless.
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