empowering your mind 133
to overeat to thoughts of pleasant past memories or fantasies yet to
be. This was easy to believe, given our knowledge of how our olfactory
response is the fastest sense to be received and processed by the
brain. Smells, such as lavender or rose, are processed by the amyg-
dala, a small part of the old brain, which processes signifi cantly
faster than our cortex, the rationalizing front part of the brain, can
physically react. So keeping a Paradigm Shift Happens Kit handy
and easily accessible can quickly help us change gears from obsess-
ing about a second trip to the refrigerator to taking a walk to pursue
more enticing smells! Create your own kit and include smells that
may save you from yourself; then invite all of your senses to experi-
ence healthier possibilities.
Day 16: The Paradigm Shift Happens Kit
At the Rice Diet Program, we have been impressed with the results
Ricers have described after creating their own Paradigm Shift
Happens Kits. You can create your own unique kit by choosing a
small plastic container and fi lling it with a variety of treasures that
will assist you in shifting all of your senses to pleasurable memories
or times. You may wish to include a small picture of your dream
place to go to in your mind (you can fi nd a photo the size of your
container and glue it within the top or roll or fold it to fi t inside)
and a scent or a fragrance you like. Some people like essential oils
of lavender, lemon, or mint, which can instantaneously shift their
focus from a food craving to the gardens of their Irish relatives in
County Cork or their last tropical vacation. Although certain indi-
viduals would fi nd that a quick sniff of a cinnamon stick can imme-
diately take them back to their grandmother ’ s Christmas gatherings
of a half century ago, others would let the cinnamon stick catapult
them into the nearest Cinnabon store! So be forewarned, this is
a very personal exercise that needs your careful attention as to
the selection of these key aromatic ingredients. Stimulate your
other senses with tactile and auditory reminders. Include a grati-
tude rock that can inspire your recollection and appreciation for