Mindful Eating

There are several aspects to food that are important to us as humans:

1) Fuel
2) Enjoyment and satisfaction
3) Social interaction

1) Food for fuel is about taking in no more calories than the body needs, and if trying to lose weight, taking in less. When we overeat, it is as dangerous as filling the gas tank on the car and then opening up the trunk and filling it with gas, too!

2) Enjoyment and satisfaction can be radically (!!!!!!!!) increased by a process called Mindful Eating.

• Focus on the Joy of Eating only.
• Never eat and do anything else (read, watch TV, drive, work). Never.
• Pray and consider with gratitude all the people, insects, and plants that went into bringing this food to you.
• Eat a bite, and really savor it. Taste it fully. Chew. Notice the textures.
• Make happy noises! Mmmmmm! Oh God, that tastes so incredibly sweet! I love it! Thank you!! Amplify the joy of eating, while eating "the perfect amount."
• Take a breath between bites. And smile! It is great to be alive and eating delicious food!
• Take a small sip of water between different foods.
• Eat until you feel satisfied, but make the process slow and delicious. DELICIOUS!
• Practice by eating one raisin or one slice of orange or banana.
• Make it a moving, eating meditation. Mantra: "There is enough. I am enough! I deserve to fully taste the sweetness of this food and of all of life, right now and always."

Unless you are allergic/sensitive to some foods (and following a wheat and "added sugar" elimination diet for 30 days is worth everyone doing at least once to notice the effect on your health), I believe you can eat whatever you want if you are mindful and really listen to your body as it eats. It will tell you, "Enough!" But it won't tell you if you are not listening, if your mind and attention are elsewhere, and if you are not taking emotional pleasure and gratitude and sweetness from the sensual pleasures of the ACT of eating.

3) Social interaction used to be a benefit of the way that people ate. We joined together as a tribe to enjoy the fruits of the forest and of the hunt. We often danced before and after, and felt connection and honored the earth spirits that brought us the abundance.

How far we've strayed from those rituals! If you feel "unsatisfied" after a big meal, ask yourself what emotion is lacking. Is it connection? Is it sweetness? Is it contentment? Regardless of what it is, you can experience it both through food and through other means. Take what emotions you still crave after mindfully enjoying enough "fuel" and consider how else those energies can be healthily brought into your life.