Mindful Eating – Enjoy Every Bite
It’s easy to get distracted while eating and to get in a rhythm of just chewing and swallowing. However, eating is one of the most pleasurable moments in our day, and it would be a shame not to savor it fully. Eating mindfully will allow you to have a richer, more satisfying experience. Moreover, it’s a good way of controlling the quantity of food you consume, as each bite will become more meaningful and important in your mind. These are the steps for mindful eating:
1. Breathe Before Starting to Eat – Busy schedules make us go from one task to the next without taking a moment to breathe in between. Have that awareness in mind, and before you start your meal take a moment to breathe deeply, calm down, and let your body transition to a state of eating. Sit comfortably, slowly take 8-10 breaths and only then go on to the next stage.
2. Listen to Your Body - After breathing, gain awareness of your physical sensations, mainly in the stomach. Ask yourself ‘How hungry am I on a scale of 1-10?’ You might also ask why you’re hungry; is your stomach empty? Are you bored? Try not to think of the last time you ate and just listen to your physical sensations in the present moment.
3. Eat According to Your Hunger Level - Now that you are aware of your feeling of hunger and its reasons, you can choose better what and how much you want to eat.
4. Eat Calmly – Don’t try to finish the meal quickly. Eat slowly and breathe between bites.
5. If You Aren’t Enjoying, Don’t Force Yourself to Continue – During the first 3 bites, feel the taste and texture of the food and think of how much enjoyment you are getting from what you are consuming. If you find that you aren’t experiencing joy, simply stop eating. You will find that if you practice this step – even sweets sometimes become less appealing.
1. Breathe Before Starting to Eat – Busy schedules make us go from one task to the next without taking a moment to breathe in between. Have that awareness in mind, and before you start your meal take a moment to breathe deeply, calm down, and let your body transition to a state of eating. Sit comfortably, slowly take 8-10 breaths and only then go on to the next stage.
2. Listen to Your Body - After breathing, gain awareness of your physical sensations, mainly in the stomach. Ask yourself ‘How hungry am I on a scale of 1-10?’ You might also ask why you’re hungry; is your stomach empty? Are you bored? Try not to think of the last time you ate and just listen to your physical sensations in the present moment.
3. Eat According to Your Hunger Level - Now that you are aware of your feeling of hunger and its reasons, you can choose better what and how much you want to eat.
4. Eat Calmly – Don’t try to finish the meal quickly. Eat slowly and breathe between bites.
5. If You Aren’t Enjoying, Don’t Force Yourself to Continue – During the first 3 bites, feel the taste and texture of the food and think of how much enjoyment you are getting from what you are consuming. If you find that you aren’t experiencing joy, simply stop eating. You will find that if you practice this step – even sweets sometimes become less appealing.