Mindful Eating ~ The Lessons I've Learned

Years ago I enjoyed a mindfulness course that taught the teachings of Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness-based stress reduction program. In it I learned numerous ways to cultivate mindfulness into my life, one of those ways was through the practice of mindful eating.

It's pretty much the norm nowadays to give very little (if any) thought to what we're eating, where it came from, or even how it tastes. It's common practice to multi-task while eating, believing that we don't have time to sit down and mindfully enjoy a meal. Think about it....How often do you eat while driving somewhere? While working? Looking on your phone? Or, while doing any number of other tasks you perform on any given day? Think about how often you mindlessly munch while preparing a meal. And even if you are sitting down at the dining table to eat, is your mind on other things?

It's easy to eat without paying attention to what you're eating or to the experience of eating.

For me, mindful eating means eating with purpose and intention. Before this practice I didn't pay attention to food or allow a moment to actually see what I was about to eat. I had no idea how richly colored some foods are. And how fake others look (notably pre-packaged foods). Now, allowing a moment to notice what my food looks like, is a part of the experience of eating.

All too often we eat way past the point of feeling full without realizing it until long afterwards. Learning how to eat mindfully has taught me how to listen to my body and pay close attention to its cues for hunger and feeling satisfied.

Life is busy and for most, experiencing a meal is rarely, if ever, done. I now know how to experience eating a meal, rather than just quickly shoving food into my mouth and barely chewing it. Mindful eating has slowed me down, making me more aware of the many textures and flavors that make up the meal I'm eating.

Now I chew with intent, paying attention to the burst of flavors in my mouth with each bite. I allow a moment to notice if I'm enjoying what I'm eating. Is it delicious, only so-so, or boring in taste? I'm mindful of the texture and feel of my food. Do I like how the food feels with each bite as it's breaking down in my mouth? These are some of the things I consider while I'm eating. I'm now aware that there are many foods I don't really enjoy the taste or texture of. Surprisingly, some of these are foods I've eaten for years and in some cases, all of my life! Who knew I didn't love the texture of toast? Not I, until I actually gave my full attention to eating it.

I've learned that not only is the practice of eating easy to do mindlessly, purchasing and preparing food has also become a mindless task. I now understand that there are magnificent connections that exist between people, places and things, in order to bring food to my table.

I feel a sense of appreciation for what I eat and now allow a moment to feel gratitude before eating. The food that I'm about to enjoy went through an lengthy process to come to my plate. It needed to be grown and there are people who helped with that. I'm grateful for those who worked hard to harvest every bit of what will feed my body, right down to the spices that help give my meal incredible flavor. I'm grateful for the process and the effort that went into turning that food into a meal. I feel deep gratitude that it's possible for me to eat whenever I feel hungry, knowing there are so many living in the world who starve.

It's now important to me to know where the food I'm about to eat has come from. Has it been grown by a local farmer or did it travel far from another part of the world? Is what I'm about to eat natural? Is it made with ingredients that are organic, or covered in chemicals and genetically altered? Will this food choice give my mind and body what it needs to thrive? And how do the choices I make with the food I consume, impact our earth. Before learning the practice of mindful eating, I didn't give thought or consideration to any of these things.

I've changed the way I purchase foods, knowing that my money talks every time I use it to buy something.

If you haven't tried mindful eating before, an easy way to begin is to commit to eating one mindful meal a day. When you eat, sit down with your meal and only that. Ensure there's nothing around to distract you from the experience of eating. You know what that means, no chowing down in front of the T.V. It means no surfing the internet or reading the paper. And it's really helpful if you put your phone on silent.

Allow a moment to see the food you are about to consume and feel gratitude, knowing it will fuel and nourish you. And when you chew, do so slowly, with purpose and intention. Allow yourself time to notice the textures and flavors that come with each bite.

As with all mindful practices, the point is to simply note your experience. It's not about good or bad, or right or wrong. Rather, just noticing everything as it is. My own experience has taught me that some days my taste buds come alive and other days the process of mindful eating feels boring and slow.

Either way, I now live with the knowing that the purpose of food is to fuel and nourish my mind and body. It isn't merely there to satisfy a craving or fill my hungry tummy. The very reason I need to eat is to fuel myself with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water. The practice of mindful eating contributes to helping me thrive and the considerations that I now have on what I purchase and how I prepare food, helps the planet thrive.

My own experience of eating with purpose and intention has changed what I buy, how I prepare food, and how much I eat. This practice continues to give me a deep sense of gratitude for what we can so easily take for granted, food.

Do you enjoy mindful eating? Leave a comment and let me know.

If you've enjoyed this blog, I'd greatly appreciate you sharing it so that others can benefit from reading it as well. Thank you.

Looking for more tips to help you live well? Check out Your Live Well Journey - The Podcast, every episode offers ways to help you improve your self-care.