I believe that mindful eating is so much more than sitting in a room with your meal without any distractions. It is not simply the avoidance of distraction, but more about being able to totally give yourself to the experience of nourishing yourself both physically and mentally with what you are eating.
Physically, before you even eat the food you will notice the smells of what is before you, the way that your mouth anticipates its gift by producing saliva to aid the process of digestion and ease the swallowing. You may hear the food slightly sizzling, or see the steam as the heat floats away into the environment.
By being mindful as you take your first bite, you will notice the flavours, the temperature of the food, the feeling it has in your mouth and the warmth that travels down your throat. You will also notice that after a while your body gives you its signal of gratitude as it tells you that it no longer needs any more.
Mentally, being mindful as you eat also takes into consideration the journey this food has been on. The people that have dedicated their lives to growing this food for you and those who have put so much effort and care to create, transport and provide you with this meal.
Mindful eating isn’t however always about doing these things. Mindful eating is about enjoyment and about appreciating the social aspects that food can have. The enjoyment of comforting your body with what is craves and knowing that you have the power to decide what you wish it’s fuel to be. Mindful eating doesn’t categorise foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but as foods that have been created for you to enjoy, without judgement and without anxiety.
Whether it is at every meal or even just once a day, can you be a little bit more mindful about what you eat? You deserve to enjoy the experience of eating and this may just give you an extra flutter of pleasure and mind nourishing within your day.
Please share your experiences with me. I would love to know what things you have enjoyed today.
