Mindful Eating 101
Positioned front and center, the vivid shades of pink and the smell of fresh-cut stargazer lilies bring a huge smile to my face. The contrasting hues of blues, browns, and white in the place setting are pretty and set the perfect backdrop for one of my favorite vegan meals. I tap my feet to the jazz version of Jill Scott’s Golden while glancing at the flickering images from all the candles.
No, I am not sitting in a restaurant. I am at home enjoying a mindful dinner in my dining room.
Occasionally, I pick an evening when the house is quiet, and I am guaranteed no interruptions. I formally set one place setting in my formal dining room. I light a lot of candles, pick a wordless playlist, and indulge in a delightful meal. I’ve elevated my meals to more mindful eating experiences.
Dinners like these supplement bubble baths and wine, but it is an intentional approach to self-care. I am married, one child lives and home, and mom recently celebrated her 87th birthday. Most evenings, we eat together in the kitchen nook as a family because I push for it; it’s my push back on becoming another family in America who eats solo and everywhere but at a table.
Fine dining and mindful eating at home minus social media, CNN, or the evening news is refreshing, therefore, I commit to intentional and conscious living.
You can apply mindfulness to every area of your life, including sex, but we’ll talk about that one another time.
I want to focus your attention on mindful eating.
According to The Center for Mindful Eating, mindful eating is the practice of awareness of what you eat, engaging all of your senses, and consciousness about your feelings of hunger and satiety
When you eat mindfully, you are not distracted by electronic devices, watching TV, moving around your house, or multi-tasking in some other form.
Mindfully eating means, you pay attention to yourself when you eat. When you eat food with your hands, you notice the texture, temperature, and feel. You recognize your food’s color, smell, shape, and how you think about the food. As you place the food in your mouth, you let the food rest on your tongue and notice any sensations. As you chew, you notice characteristics like seeds, bursts of flavor, and crunch factor.
Conscientiously eating has proven science-based health benefits, such as:
A connection between mindful eating has increased weight loss, less impulsive eating, healthier food choices, and an overall improved relationship with food.
It is effectively helping people with eating disorders. A review of a mindfulness-based eating awareness training found that mindful eating can decrease the frequency of binge eating episodes, improve self-control when it comes to food, and reduce symptoms of depression in those with binge eating disorder (BED; Kristeller & Wolever, 2010).
Considering the reasons you eat significantly influences your behavior and attitude toward food. Dr. Michelle May coined the term “The Mindful Eating Cycle” and used it as the basis of her Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program (May, 2018).
The program creates a framework for you to rethink your eating habits. The cycle asks the following questions.
Why? Why do I eat?
When? When do I want to eat?
What? What do I want to eat?
How? How do I eat?
How Much? How much do I eat?
Where? Where do I invest my energy?
The next time you notice yourself unconsciously munching on a bag of chips or your favorite treat, stop and consider the above questions. Furthermore, take the eating cycle assessment.
A popular mindfulness exercise to try is the “Raisin Meditation.” If you do not like raisins, try the activity with a piece of fruit or dark chocolate.
When was the last time you set your table or ate mindfully? Consider this a challenge to give it a try.
Additional Resources
Introduction to Mindful Eating by Michelle DuVal (YouTube video)
Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food by Susan Albers (Available on Amazon)
The path to a healthy body and a happy soul is based upon self-study, mindfulness, love, and awareness. Understanding our relationship to eating cultivates a lot of insights and helps us start living our highest potential.
-Natasa Pantovic Nuit