Mindful Eating

Of all the things we do mindlessly, eating is often the one we do the most often. We sit and eat without paying full attention to the food we are eating. We may be eating healthy, and we may be eating the correct portion sizes but too often we do other things at the same time as eating that draw our attention away from eating. Mindful eating is something we can all do to help us to really appreciate the amazing variety and quality of foods that are available to us. Mindful eating does not need to be practiced each and every time we eat but we should aim to do this at least 3-4 times per week. Mindful eating does not need to be limited to meals. It can be very helpful when snacking and especially if there is that one food that you find you just can’t control yourself around. For me, that food is potato chips and so I will use those as my example. You might like to try this with chocolate, or sultanas.

You should be doing nothing other than eating now. No reading Facebook, no talking on the phone. Just focusing on your food. Get yourself a small serving of whatever food you have chosen. No more than a few mouthfuls. This is not about satisfying physical hunger, this is about satisfying emotional hunger.

Start by just looking at the food. Notice it’s shape, it’s colour. I like plain thin cut potato chips and these are usually oval and a pale yellow colour. The shapes and sizes vary across the serving. Some chips are bigger than others. Some have what look like burn marks on them. If your food is hot notice the steam rising off it and the shapes that stream makes as it rises.

Now take note of the smell. I can smell the salt. Notice how your body reacts. My mouth is starting to fill with additional saliva. I can almost taste the saltiness already. Notice if the smell brings back any memories of other times you have eaten this food. Are those memories happy ones?

The next step is my favourite. Eating your food. Pick up your first piece. Again, notice the shape, size, colour and smell of this particular piece taking note of how your body reacts. Take a bite, and let that bite just sit in your mouth for a moment. Notice the feel of the food on your tongue. Chips are rough but they slowly dissolve. I can taste the salt from the chip as it sits there. Now you can chew if you need to. Again take note of the texture and the taste of the food. When you are ready you can swallow.

Notice how the food feels as you swallow. Does it go down smoothly or is there a roughness to it. Feel if you can sense it entering your stomach, and the sensations of the stomach as the food begins to be digested. Now notice all the sensations from having eaten this bite. Sit for a moment before having the next bite.

Try and do this for the entire serving you have placed out for yourself. Take your time. There is no rush. Just enjoy each and every bite. When you are done sit for a moment and notice how you feel about what you have just eaten. What tastes are left in your mouth? Do you now require a drink of water? How enjoyable what just that small portion.

Mindful eating can be very useful when there is one food that you tend to overeat on. When we overeat on a particular food we tend to lose focus on the food itself and instead focus on how it makes us feel. When we can take the time to fully focus on the food we can gain a greater appreciation for that food. Practicing mindful eating with foods we tend to overeat on can also help us to not overeat on those foods. It can help us to slow down and focus on each and every bite, and to help us see when we are eating to satisfy an emotion rather than a hunger.

Guided Meditation and Mindfulness can help to teach you about what triggers your desires to eat different foods, and teach you different, and healthier ways of coping with day to day stress in your life. If this is something you would like to learn more about book a session with me today.