Mindful Eating
We KNOW how to eat healthy – we have access to more information than any other generation before us. We KNOW that we need to eat more fruit and vegetables. We KNOW we should exercise – of course it is good for our physical, mental and emotional health.
So, we have all of the information we need. We KNOW what we SHOULD do…so, why don’t we do it? In the last twenty years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity (more than one-third of U.S. adults and 12.5 million children are obese). It seems the more information we have, the more we gain weight or the rates of chronic illness increase. Is it possible that the reasons may not be lack of information or knowledge?
What if we shift how we look at food, eating, and our lifestyle? Perhaps instead of looking EXTERNALLY at what we need to do to “fix” our problem, we could spend some time paying attention to what is going on INTERNALLY within us. Instead of looking just at fat grams on a label, we pay attention to how what we eat actually makes us FEEL! Do I feel… jittery? Sluggish? Bloated? Foggy? Crabby? Lethargic? Energized? Clear? Focused?
How about asking ourselves WHY we are eating what we are eating? Believe it or not, food is about more than just calories and physical sustenance. Food for humans is also emotions, memories, relationship, and stress relief. Think about how we socialize in our culture – often it revolves around who is bringing what for dinner. Perhaps when you smell chocolate chip cookies baking you are brought back to a comforting childhood memory of grandma baking and a sense of security and calm…could that be why you crave them when you are sad of stressed out? Perhaps preparing and serving delicious, comforting food is how you show LOVE.
WHEN are you eating? HOW are you eating? Do you eat in front of the TV, computer, at your desk in the office, or driving in your car? Do you even know how your food tastes while you eat it? Do you realize when you are full, or just clean your plate? In our fast paced, screen ruled society we think most of us will say we can relate to these scenarios.
Taking the first step in being MINDFUL is asking yourself some of these questions regarding food. WHY? HOW? WHAT? WHEN? Do not beat yourself up or feel guilty (the stress we impose on ourselves can be worse for our health than what we are eating!). Just start thinking about it…this is a great first step. Little changes can begin only if you aware! Here is a little exercise to get you started on your journey of mindfulness and food:
Get comfortable in a chair, sitting erect, with feet on the floor. Close your eyes, if you would like. Breathe deeply … Take a few deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Allow your shoulders to fall from your ears, your arms to relax, legs to relax, allow your belly to be soft.
Say to yourself, “soft” as you breathe in, and “belly” as you breathe out– just focusing on your breath for a few minutes.
If you feel tension anywhere, imagine the in-breath going to that spot, and the tension leaving the body with the out-breath. Gently bring your awareness back to the words “soft” on the inhale, and “belly” on the exhale.
Breathe, continuing to focus on your breath, for a few minutes. Open your eyes, and feel the deeper awareness you have of your body and surroundings. Notice how clear your mind feels.
This simple little exercise can help bring you into the present moment. Being fully present in the moment can help you make better decisions about what you are eating and why. You may even discover that you don’t even really like some of the choices you have been making or foods that you have been eating. Right now, in this moment, you don’t even have to DO anything … just think about it!
Article written by Nicole Linder & Paula Rehder; Soft Belly Meditation from The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, www.cmbm.org