Mindful Eating

"How to eat mindfully

You can start with a piece of fruit, or really anything that is small enough to fit in your hand and isn't going to be affected by temperature. You can being by setting a timer for 3 minutes. Place the piece of food into the palm of your hand. Take a moment to place you gaze on this food item. Take in the colors, shapes, textures. You can move it around on your hand, observing it from different angles. Spend about 30 seconds observing the food item. You might have thoughts pop into your mind about this experience like: "This is stupid. Why am I wasting my time staring at food?" It's normal to have all kinds of thoughts when engaging in a mindfulness activity, and thoughts are not a problem. Any time you notice yourself getting lost in thought just bring your attention back to your senses.

Next, bring the food item up to your nostrils. Take in any smells that might be coming from the food. It can sometimes help to close your eyes so that you can really take in the food through your sense of smell. notice if anything happens in your stomach or your mouth as you smell the food. Spent about 30 seconds smelling the food.

Now, very slowly you can move the food around your mouth and take a bite. Chew the food slowly. Notice what flavors are coming up. Notice the sensations in your mouth. Notice how it feels to be chewing the food. Notice any flavors you are getting. Spend about 30 seconds chewing the food.

When you are ready you can swallow the food and notice how it feels as it travels down your throat and moves towards your stomach. Now notice how your whole body feels as you have finished chewing the food.

This simple exercise is the foundation of mindful eating.

It demonstrates how you can tune into your 5 senses the next time you are eating. While of course it isn't realistic for most people to eat every meal in this way, setting the intention to begin this practice by eating one meal a day mindfully can be a great place to start. It can help to set a timer if you have the habit of eating quickly. Try to give yourself at least 30 minutes to eat your meal. Bring a mindful awareness to each bite of food that you consume."

Read the full article on Mental Health Match

✨Takeaway: By taking our time when eating and paying attention to each bite, we can practice mindful eating. Starting small can also be beneficial in order to illustrate how this process functions. It takes time to retrain your mind and body to slow down when you've spent your entire life eating for efficiency. Try out this technique to see if it can alter the way you view food and your body.

✨Reflection: Would you ever try mindful eating?

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