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We all eat. But how mindful are we of every bite we take?
Your mother always told you to slow down and taste your food. That’s great
advice, especially when we find ourselves grabbing a quick snack on the run
or eating a meal while driving. How we eat says as much about us as what we
choose to eat. We can learn a great deal by paying attention to our eating
habits. Our appetites change depending on our moods. If we’re depressed, we
may eat more than usual or we may lose our appetite completely. When we are
consumed by an emotion such as anger or sadness, we may not be aware of our
eating habits at all. Paying attention to the way you eat is a great way to
develop a more mindful approach to life in general. Since eating is
something we do several times a day, it’s a perfect activity to pair with
mindfulness. If you can choose to eat a meal alone—at work or at home—you
have a perfect opportunity to create greater awareness at the same time.
Ready to give it a try? Sit in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed
for several minutes. Taking the time to present your food in an appealing
way may be helpful for this exercise. At the very least, unwrap your food
and discard any packaging. If possible, take a look at the food before you
put it on a plate. Spend a moment focusing on the food itself—the colors,
textures, and aromas. Consider the nutrients in the food, and focus on what
it will do for your body. Now, shift your attention to your empty plate.
This is the vessel that will hold the food you choose to put into your body.
Notice the shape, the size and the color of the plate. Take a moment to
consider the space that the food will fill on this plate. Next, spend a
moment concentrating on your body. Look at your belly. Feel your hunger. Pay
attention to your craving, your anticipation of the flavors, and the way
they will taste on your tongue. As you serve the food and place it on your
plate, be mindful of the fact that this will be nourishing your body.
Whatever you choose to place on your plate will ultimately serve as fuel for
your activities and contribute to your energy and wellness. Now, take a bite
of the food you have served yourself. Chew slowly, and pay attention to the
flavor and texture of this bite. Feel the food sliding down your throat, and
consider how it will be digested by your system to create energy for your
body. With each bite, notice the sensation of chewing and swallowing. Savor
the taste. Swallow completely before taking another bite. As you take the
last bite, pay attention to the fullness in your belly, and note the
satisfaction of completing a mindful meal. Try eating mindfully during one
meal a day for a week. For your regular, faster meals, notice when you find
yourself eating without paying attention. Intentionally slow down so that
you can enjoy that one bite before speeding up again. Doing this regularly
will give you a much better understanding of what you are feeding your
body—and how. By becoming more mindful of our eating, we learn to pay
attention to what feeds us, both literally and figuratively. Our food
choices affect our wellness, and our approach to eating spills over into the
way we handle our work, our relationships, and our lives in general. We must
learn to recognize patterns in our behavior in order to create more
awareness and harmony. Mindlessly chewing whatever we fork into our mouths
is akin to ignoring our actions in general. With a few moments of daily
mindful eating, you will develop a much greater awareness of your choices
and their power over all aspects of your life.
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