Because the act of eating is a mundane task, many forget that it should be an experience. When we go on retreats, we are often reminded of the importance of mindful eating and savoring every bite. This practice doesn’t only make you hyper-aware of its flavors; it also makes you feel grateful towards the meal you are consuming. However, incorporating mindful eating may be difficult for people who are always on the go and lead a busy lifestyle.
Thankfully, many people realize that eating shouldn’t be taken for granted and are now finding ways to be more conscious about consuming their meals. The fact that you are reading this article makes you one step closer to better eating habits. In this article, we will share with you little ways to practice mindful eating in your life.
Allow your mind and body to experience things together
When you eat rapidly, you ignore most of the signals your body is sending to your brain. For example, when you eat too fast, your body may be sending messages to your brain, saying that you’re full, making you eat more than you can handle. However, when you eat slowly, your mind and body can easily catch up and communicate seamlessly.
You can allow your body and mind to go at the same pace by following small habits. Habits like chewing several times, setting your utensils down after every bite, or merely sitting down to enjoy your meals can improve your mindful eating routine.
Refine the contents of your kitchen
One of the reasons you eat mindlessly is the availability of easy-to-make and unhealthy meals and snacks in your kitchen. Knowing that you have these food options prevents you from developing a healthy lifestyle and restricts you from consciously consuming food.
The best way to eat mindfully is by making sure that your kitchen is filled with food items that you consciously chose. When you are conscious about the ingredients you use and the meals you make,you’ll have a more mindful eating experience and live healthier. Doing this will not only benefit your health, but you will also form a great connection with your family during meals.
Connect with your food
When you watch sommeliers taste wine, baristas sip coffee, or when chefs taste their food, they are forming a connection with what they are consuming. They make sure that their senses are aligned and that they are tasting every component of their drinks or meals.
This attitude is one of the essential attributes needed to practice mindful eating. Make a connection with your meals by considering the people involved behind the whole process. When you are mindful of what you’re consuming, you think about the farmers behind the greens you are eating and other elements of creating your meals. Mindful eating makes you more appreciative of the food you are eating, and this attitude helps with that.
Avoid distractions
Mindful eating requires you to stop multitasking. Allowing distractions to interfere with your mealtime ruins your eating experience. When you are distracted, listening to your body is more challenging. When this happens, you may be ignoring signals that your body is sending to your brain. Additionally, you are also disrupting your connection to your meals.
During mealtimes, you should place all your devices and other forms of distractions away from you. Mindful eating requires you to focus on what and how you are consuming your meals.
Conclusion
Mindful eating has both physical and mental benefits. However, it requires a lot of patience and self-compassion to have this attitude towards food. Mindful eating is a great way to slow down, listen to your body, and be grateful for your meals. You’ll notice later that with mindful eating, you aren’t only developing a healthier lifestyle, but feeling a sense of gratitude and lightness towards your new way of life.
Are you looking to start a healthier lifestyle? Meg Parker is an intentional health coach who provides mind and body training to her clients. Learn more about her services today!
