gojoe.com

We’ve all heard the old adage, “you are what you eat.” There is truth in that statement.  Every cell of the body is nourished by the food we take in.  At each meal we choose how we want to fuel our cells – processed or fast food with many calories yet little nutritional value, or nutrient dense whole foods such as fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.  What you eat is no doubt of importance; however, how we eat is just as important if not more.

Living in a fast paced society, we are lucky if we sit down at the table to eat even 1 meal a day.  How many meals have we eaten in the car, at our computer, while standing, walking, etc.  Psychologically we are not satisfied when we feel like we haven’t had a proper meal.  A coffee and a bagel wolfed down in the car on the way to work is not satisfying to the brain, thus we crave more upon arriving at the office and find ourselves snacking on whatever we may find in the break room.  The rate at which we eat is important as well.  For all the time spent preparing a meal, it always amazes me how quickly we can devour our meals in 5 to 10 minutes with out really even tasting our food.  Mindful eating is a tool I use with my clients to help them slow down, eat with more awareness, and truly enjoy the gift of eating.  Mindful eating is deeply satisfying on both physiological and psychological levels.

Try these tips to cultivate mindful eating to help you manage over-eating, compulsive eating, and to enhance your overall relationship with food.

• Sit down and eat your meal at the table
• Take a moment for gratitude (if grace is your tradition insert here, if not, a simple thank you to that which made your meal possible, animal, vegetable, farmer, sunshine…)
• Before taking the 1^st bite take in your food with all your other senses (smell, see, observe texture and color)
• Take a bite, and notice what tastes you are experiencing, (sweet, sour, spicy) notice texture, (crunchy, smooth) and temperature (hot, cold)
• Chew your food until it is the consistency of baby food (chewing is the first step of digestion, the stomach and intestines do not “chew” so in order for food to be properly broken down and used as it nutrient parts, it must be thoroughly chewed in the mouth.
• Put down your fork in between bites.  Eating is to be enjoyed not rushed.
• Before the end of your meal notice your level of hunger.  This will bring awareness to your level of satisfaction and help you determine if you really are hungry for seconds.
• According to the teachings of Ayurvedic Medicine, following the meal you should “sit like a king” for 7 minutes then take a short walk to help with digestion.  I find this also allows you time to rate your hunger level and see that you truly are satisfied with out feeling the need to go back for seconds.

I hope these tips enhance your eating experience and help you develop a healthier and more mindful relationship with your food!