“Want to know thyself? Fire the shrink and peek into your pantry.” ~ the WiseFool

Rumor has it that you’re a good fibber. You can tell whoppers, spin yarn, spew tall tales, and otherwise have your way with people’s heads. Great, but can you call a bluff when you see it coming at you? Let’s find out.

Pour yourself a glass of Yellow Tail Shiraz, cut up some aged Cabot Cheddar, and let’s do a quiz.

You should never waste your food. True or false?

A: False. Food rots better outside the body than inside it.

If you don’t fancy leftovers, it is better to throw away the excess food and have it go to waste than stuff yourself… and have it go bad inside you. And go bad it will! Digestion is energy-intensive and there’s no way your body can get to everything you put inside it. Undigested food is the biggest source of toxins in the body, especially in a culture like ours that’s big on processed foods.

All this is contrary to how you were raised: “Don’t waste food!” your mother screamed. “Think of all the starving people in India and Africa.” Ignore your silly mother for a moment and turn to common sense.

Undigested food particles, which our bodies cannot completely break down, are stored in the liver and adipose tissue as fat. These particles also clog exchange tissues like the membranes of the small intestine, which serves to deliver nutrients into the bloodstream and release wastes. The residue of undigested bits stemming from inadequate digestion can clog all the systems in your body, result in waste buildup, and eventually lead to disease.

Besides, how is stuffing your face (so that you don’t have to deal with waste) going to help the hungry people of the world? Yes, it’s true: Sensible people don’t waste anything, let alone food. So good people like you are bound to feel guilty about wasting food, which is perfectly normal. But “normal” does not make it natural. Guilt is not natural; it’s learned behavior. If guilt could make you a better person, I’d recommend it in a heartbeat. If guilt could stop waste, I’d push it on you every time. Unfortunately, the only purpose if guilt is, you guessed it — more guilt!

The mental ideal of “never waste food” fuels emotions (guilt being the king of them), but it does little to actually connect you with your body. Emotions do not imply or increase bodily awareness. They usually accomplish just the opposite. If I can’t feel my own body, how in the world can I feel the pain of starving people on the other side of the planet? Sympathy — yes. Empathy — no. Guilt-fueled disassociation buys pity, not compassion. Most emotions are baggage leftover from yesterday. Bodily feelings, on the other hand, are entirely about the here and now.

So entertain whatever guilt you like, but do yourself and this world a huge favor: Let go of the excess food instead of stuffing yourself with it. Donate it, save it for later, or discard it. Whatever you do, do not save your ideals and lose your self.

If you release the need to clean your plate and stop treating your body like it were a garbage-disposal, you may find yourself paying more attention to how much food you pile on your plate to start with. Waste not, want not.