Being aware of your media diet is a spiritual practice, says Elizabeth Thoman, C.H.M., a Sister of Humility (Iowa) who founded the Center for Media Literacy. Finding the right kind &151 of news that inspires creative, loving action takes time and energy, like choosing the foods we eat. Here are suggestions from spiritual leaders to make your media diet as healthy as possible.

1. Say grace. Scott Mitchell, a Buddhist scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, performs a daily ritual of compassion, reciting the Bodhisattva vow to help all beings reach enlightenment. "I direct this intention toward groups of people I think are in need." The vow is an acknowledgment that we're all connected -- either we're all enlightened or none are.

2. Count calories. Keep a journal of your media intake, suggests Thoman. She notes that the practice frequently shocks people into changing their diet or even going on a modified media fast.

3. Choose variety. Imam Sa'dullah Khan of the Islamic Center of Irvine says the problem is not how much we consume, but the narrow range of choices. "One of the prayers of the Prophet Mohammed was, 'Show me the world as it really is, not the way I want to see it.' And that's very difficult."

4. Ask who is stirring the pot. A key question for all news reports is: Whose interests are being served? "I remain in pursuit of truth," says Khan. "But truth is being sacrificed at the altar of corporate interests."

5. Weigh yourself often. The Reverend Kris Haig, coordinator for spiritual formation for the Presbyterian Church (USA), asks, "Is your news diet making you more loving, peaceful, and connected with other people? Or is it making you fearful and alienated? Choose accordingly."

6. Pray. "The news tells me where I need to focus my prayer energy and whom I need to embrace with love," says the Reverend Stanley Howse, pastor of the Unity Church of Burbank. Corinne Ware, an Anglican professor of spiritual theology, says, "When I hear of people in distress, I pray 'Lord, be with them now and in their moment of trial.' Which basically says, 'God, do what you can!'"

7. Add plenty of salt. "Say your child gets the upsetting news that her first boyfriend is no longer interested in her," says Swami B. V. Tripurari from Audarya Monastery. "The way you help her deal with that is to give her the larger picture. Reflecting on perspective can make even the most disturbing news seem less so."

8. Get back to nature. Ever notice how a walk in the woods changes your mood? Nature has its own news to share with us. "I tell people to seek the quietude of nature," says Tripurari. "A perspective on nature from sacred texts or sacred persons also helps us take full advantage of nature's lessons."

9. Develop rituals to counteract overeating. After a spate of news stories about child abductions, Wiccan Beth Wills found she needed a ritual to help alleviate anxiety about her daughter's safety. "While making sachets with different protective herbs, I visualized my daughter growing up strong and happy," she says.

10. Work off the calories. "In Islam, there is a strong emphasis on practicality. You pray and do. Prayer without action is considered hypocritical," says Khan. Shaikh Kabir Helminski, of the Sufi Mevlevi Order of Whirling Dervishes, says working for justice is an unavoidable spiritual obligation. "The Qur'an says God will not change a people's condition until they change themselves."

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