Five Key Practices for Mindful Eating
Here are some suggestions for weaving mindful eating practices into your daily life.
Keep in mind that this practice is not about achieving perfection; it’s about raising awareness, disrupting our reactive patterns and forming new habits. Be kind, gentle and loving with yourself and set judgment and criticism aside.
Play with one or two of the suggestions at your own pace and discover what resonates for you. Tune into your body and trust your intuition about what most aligns with your needs and your lifestyle. This is about getting to know yourself and what truly nourishes you. There is no “right way”.
As you become more at ease with the art of mindful eating, gradually build additional practices into your meal times. Consider this your playground—a space for exploration and creativity to blossom.
1. Shop Mindfully
Begin your mindfulness practice with your shopping experience. The journey of mindful eating starts by making conscious choices about what you are buying and what will be most supportive for your body’s well-being.
Consider creating a list of nourishing foods you intend to buy ahead of time and stick to the list to avoid impulsive purchases that may not align with your health goals.
Take into account the nutritional value of your choices and focus on non-processed, wholesome foods. Avoid the center aisles which are generally stocked with processed items.
As the Fall season unfolds, gradually introduce more warming, moisture-rich and nutrient dense foods. This will help your body adapt to the seasonal change with greater ease. Explore an array of juicy fruits like apples, pears and grapefruit, along with an abundance of winter squash, pumpkin and robust root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, parsnips, sunchokes and beets. As the days grow colder, cook heartwarming and hearty meals such as soups and stews, accompanied by soothing teas.
2. Offer Gratitude
Throughout the world, many cultures celebrate the arrival of Fall with harvest festivals, often to honor the gifts of Mother Earth and to give thanks for nature’s bounty. It is an opportune time to offer gratitude, as this frequency of energy already exists within the greater consciousness.
Before you begin your meal, pause for a moment to offer thanks. Acknowledge the dedication and resources that went into the creation of your meal. Consider where, how and by whom the food was planted and harvested as well as who delivered and stocked it. Reflect on all of the effort that went into preparing the meal itself.
Connect with the elements and extend your gratitude for the soil, water, air and sun that played a vital role in creating an environment for your food to flourish.
You have the option to express gratitude silently or through a spoken blessing or acknowledgment, setting a peaceful tone as you approach your meal with greater reverence.
The following is a verse of inspiration from Thich Nat Hanh:
In this food
I see clearly
the presence of the entire universe
supporting my existence.
3. Avoid Distractions by Engaging All Senses
Many individuals in the United States eat while working, driving or engaging in some other activity. When distracted, we are not fully immersed in the act of eating, making overeating more likely.
To counter this, attend to your plate with your full attention and relish in each bite. Take note of the spectrum of colors, smells and aromas, tastes, and textures of the food you are both preparing and eating. Reconnecting to your senses can be a powerful way to ground back into the present moment. Pause periodically throughout the meal to fully engage the senses.
Observe how Fall foods differ. Recognize the fragrances of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove or the deep orange hues of the butternut or kabocha squash. Pay attention to the more warming, heartier foods you lean towards during this season.
4. Serve Modest Portions, Savor Small Bites
Eating slowly allows you to tune into your body’s hunger and fullness signals. Aim to eat til you feel 80% full, avoiding the discomfort of overeating. Slower eating not only improves digestion, but also offers you a richer and more enjoyable culinary experience.
Resist the temptation to overfill your plate with food. Begin by serving yourself a modest portion which helps prevent overeating and reduces food waste. If, once you are finished with your serving size, you still experience hunger, feel free to serve yourself more food. However, enjoy a pause between re-serving yourself to gauge your true hunger level.
Pacing yourself and extending the duration of your meals by taking small bites can contribute to a slower, more mindful meal. Experiment with occasionally putting down your utensil between bites or trying to eat with your non-dominant hand.
5. Be Aware of Your Emotions
Our relationship to food is often intricately entangled with our emotional and mental states of being. At times, we may reach for foods not out of hunger, but as a means to soothe or calm ourselves.
To practice conscious eating, it is crucial to pay attention to our emotional state before, during, and after meals as these emotions might be influencing our eating patterns. Take a moment to check in with yourself: Are you experiencing feelings of stress, worry or anxiety? Happiness and joy? Perhaps boredom?
Mindful eating invites us to non-judgmentally observe our emotions and to refrain from using food as a means of coping with them. Identifying triggers for overeating or unhealthy eating patterns can transform your relationship to food and pave the way for healthier habits.
Remembering
Enjoy the sacred journey of exploration and of being more fully present in your eating experience. Have unwavering trust in your intuition when it comes to choosing foods that best nourish your beautiful body. Stay aligned with your authentic self and remain attuned to your inner wisdom. It is ever-present, ready to guide you.
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”
― Henry David Thoreau
