Mindful Eating in the New Year

Mindful eating.

Some might respond to these two words together by saying, "Uhh...yea...I am 'mindful' of what I eat." (Insert skeptical, side-eyed look). Ok, sure - you might very well be able to list off the exact amount of several types of nutrients in the foods you ate yesterday OR you might be able to rattle off the break down of how your meals today fit into the new Healthy Eating Plate (i.e., the new Food Pyramid) - but this is not actually what I mean.

Ask yourself these questions - when was the last time you used a range of senses to EXPERIENCE your food? Have you ever sat by yourself with NO phone, TV, podcast, or family member/friend eating? For most...it has either been a VERY long time...or never. Mindful eating is the practice of paying attention to experiencing our food, on purpose, moment-by-moment, without judgment. In this practice, the focus is on bringing awareness to the sensations, thoughts, emotions, etc. associated with the act of eating. Check out this article about "The Art of Mindful Eating..." for some more information: https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/mindful-eating-food-health/

So - on this Mindful Monday (the first of 2020!)...consider how you might bring mindful attention back to something you (hopefully) do daily. (It's amazing how this practice can help transform our relationships with food AND our bodies.)

Here is another resource with some mindful eating meditations to give a try - https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/FREE-Meditations

Wishing you all a very nourishing and Mindful Monday!