Nourishing Your Body and Soul with Mindful Eating

The holiday season is just around the corner and your calendar will soon be filled with family, friends, laughter, and, of course, delectable cuisine. Amidst all this festive hustle and bustle, who wants to concern themselves with the notion of being on a “diet”? Not me!

Before the whirlwind of Thanksgiving planning and the array of other holiday feasts descends upon you, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the principles of mindful eating. This practice can help you navigate the holiday season looking and feeling your best, all the while enjoying your favorite seasonal dishes.

The food, the friends, the laughter, the chocolate cake, yep, you can have your cake and eat it too! With mindful eating you learn to slow down and savor food. This concept teaches you how to listen to your body, which means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied.

What is Mindless Eating?

To understand mindful eating, you must first know what mindless eating is.

Mindless Eating is:

• Eating food without tasting it.
• Eating in a hurry, in the car, at the computer, or while you are watching TV, etc.
• Eating while standing up and trying to multi-task.
• Eating to the point of fullness and then feeling guilty about what and how much you ate.
• Eating to feed emotions– it could be boredom, stress, anxiety, or pure happiness.
• Eating because the clock says it is time to eat rather than listening to hunger signals from your body.
• Ignoring your hunger cues and skipping meals.

Now, you may be wondering what mindful eating is.

It’s the practice of paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking. It encourages you to be fully present in the moment and to engage all your senses while consuming food.

Why Become a Mindful Eater?

There are many reasons to ditch dieting and become a mindful eater. Here are just a few:

• Stop the dieting cycle and learn to enjoy all foods.
• Identify and reduce emotional eating.
• Learn how to eat in all social situations.
• Help create a healthy relationship with food.
• Set a good example for young children, especially ones that are susceptible to eating disorders and disordered eating.

Simple Tips to Become a More Mindful Eater

The good news is that there are tips you can use to become a more mindful eater:

• Eat Unplugged. Avoid watching TV, surfing the net, reading the paper, etc. while eating. When you eat, just eat.

• Take time to focus on the sensations of the food. Enjoy the smell, taste, and texture of the food. Try eating in silence (this may not always be possible, but experiment with it when you have a chance). Turn off external noises and when you eat, just eat.

• Practice. Your current eating habits did not develop overnight, therefore neither will becoming a mindful eater. It will take practice and patience. Learn to taste your food and appreciate the texture and flavor. Set aside time each week to practice mindful eating. Slow down, taste the food, set no boundaries on what can and cannot be eaten, pay attention to what you really enjoy eating compared to foods you eat “just because.”

• Re-assess your favorites. We all have “favorite foods” but often these so-called “favorites” are just habitual “favorites.” Meaning in the hustle and bustle of life, we have stopped asking ourselves “do I still really enjoy chocolate cake, or do I enjoy the memories and feelings that are associated with chocolate cake.” You will surprise yourself to learn what foods you really do love, compared to foods you eat because of habit or the feelings that are associated with it.

• Re-connect with food. Plant a garden, cook, visit a local farm, make bread or pasta from scratch. Taking the time to reconnect with food and seeing where it comes from can give you a whole new appreciation of the nourishment you feed your body.

This fall, embrace the practice of mindful eating to enhance your mind-body connection. It’s the perfect season to embark on a journey towards a healthier relationship with food, nurturing both your body and soul.

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