Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen - Scott Cunningham 1990

Weight Loss
Magical food diets

Millions of us are overweight, though the standards used to gauge our ideal weight vary and don’t equally apply to all individuals. Some could stand to lose a few pounds; others are dozens or hundreds of pounds overweight. Some among us go crazy when finding that they’ve gained a pound; others don’t care.

One thing seems clear—few of us are completely happy with our bodies. Print ads, commercials, motion pictures, and television programs are populated by people with perfect faces, perfect teeth, perfect hair, and perfect bodies. Those of us who don’t share these attributes are exposed to such seemingly perfect beings day in and day out for our entire lives. The underlying message is that thin is not only in—it’s natural.^******

Weight-loss centers are mushrooming around the country. Hundreds of diet books are launched every year. Millions of dollars are spent on appetite suppressants, aerobics classes, and weight-loss support groups. Millions dream of dropping a few pounds and, more importantly, of keeping them off.

As I wrote in the introduction to part three, this isn’t a “diet book.” Most people think of the words “dieting” and “losing weight” as being synonymous. This isn’t the case. There are many types of diets: low-salt, low-cholesterol, high-fiber, weight-loss, even weight-gain. The secret for success with any diet is to think of it in permanent terms. A “diet” isn’t something that you do for a while; it should be a permanent change in eating habits.

This chapter isn’t an all-encompassing diet. If these foods are added to your meals, and prepared and eaten with visualization, they can indeed be useful in lessening your pounds—but they aren’t a mystical guarantee of weight loss.

Before trying to lose weight, consult a qualified doctor. Ensure that your problem isn’t being caused by a biological condition. Once you’ve been cleared of such worries, begin to add these foods to your diet.

The basics of any weight-loss program are:

—Eat lots of vegetables

—Consume less fat and sugar

—Increase your exercise

—Never skip a meal

Here are some more ways to lose weight:

Do nothing but eat while you’re eating. Don’t read the paper, watch television, or perform any other activity. Sure, you can talk to the person on the other side of the table, but keep meal times for eating.

Don’t reward yourself with food—unless it is one of those listed in this section. “Rewarding” yourself with a hot-fudge sundae is actually punishing yourself. See what I mean?

Don’t celebrate with food. Choose other activities to serve as get-togethers.

Limit the number of meals that you consume out of the home. It’s much harder sticking to any type of diet when you have little or no control over what you eat and how it’s prepared.

Eat three large or four small meals a day. Don’t skip breakfast. This has been proven to slow the body’s metabolism and can actually increase your weight! It also raises cholesterol levels. If you follow this plan, you’ll do wonders.

Herbs and Spices

Chickweed

Dill

Fennel

Season foods with these herbs. Dill goes well with green beans. Fennel seeds can be pushed into pizza crusts (remember: no more than one or two pieces per meal). Eat a bit of fresh chickweed before meals if it’s available.

Vegetables

Celery

Chervil

Chives

Kelp (all seaweeds)

Onion

Actually, all salad greens are useful in weight-loss programs. Use an apple cider vinegar or tofu-based dressing; avoid dressings high in fats and oil.

Seaweeds, though not commonly eaten here, are wonderful helps in losing weight. Add them to soups and stews.

Other Weight-Loss Foods

Apple cider

Grape juice

Honey

Pickles

Fill a teaspoon with honey. Visualize yourself as a slimmer person. Eat the honey. Do this fifteen minutes or so before a meal. This reduces your appetite and certainly can kill cravings for sugar. Anytime you have the urge for sugar, eat a teaspoon of honey.

Or, drink half a glass of unsweetened apple juice or grape juice to stem sugar cravings.

Eat one pickle a day. This is an old weight-loss idea.

Foods to Avoid

Fats

Fried foods

Salt

Sugar

Is this a surprise? Also, avoid consuming dietetic foods. Research indicates that low-calorie, artificially sweetened foods often stimulate the appetite, leading people to eat or drink so much of them that they don’t save any calories. Those “diet” drinks aren’t.

Also, all artificial sweeteners are potentially dangerous. Honey isn’t nutritionally superior to sugar to any significant degree, but it’s less processed, has its own taste, and is available in a smaller number of foods, which limits your dessert possibilities.

If you must eat sugary foods, only eat those you prepare yourself—and then in small amounts.

Preparing and Cooking Weight-Loss Foods

Burn a yellow candle in the kitchen while cooking and eating to strengthen your conscious resolve.

Do eat some sort of dessert, but make it one sweetened with fruit juice or honey. And, once again, eat small portions. Would a four-inch-square piece of honey cake taste better than a two-inch-square piece? Of course not.

Eat slowly. Chew thoroughly. Be aware of everything that you put into your mouth. Affirm while you eat that food is nourishing and good for you, and that it will help you to lose weight.