How to Practice Mindful Eating
Food is a universal experience, a shared language that connects all of us. Traditionally it was a sacred ritual, but the way we eat has changed over time. Most of us rush through our meals, distracted, hardly chewing and possibly not remembering the experience at all once it’s over.
If we want food to be nourishing on both a body and soul level, eating mindfully is practice to adopt. It’s deeply powerful for healing digestive issues, energy imbalances, learning to eat intuitively and heightening the experience of a meal.
As you being practicing mindful eating, know that you can you can practice a few of the following at a time and add in the other layers once you’re ready. The all or nothing approach can prevent one from starting, so you can let go of this and know that each small change makes a difference.
Give Yourself the Time + Space
The first step in mindful eating is to give yourself the time and space to eat mindfully. A great barrier to mindful eating is our tendency to favor productivity and multi-tasting, essentially allocating all of our time and energy to everyone else, while forgetting to tend to our own needs. We need to unlearn this programming and be intentional about valuing our wellbeing, and this includes unapologetically carving out the time for eating and other forms of self-care. I encourage you to schedule meals into your day like any other task, and honor that commitment to yourself.
Shift Your Mindset
When we go into mindful eating feeling exasperated or with a story in our minds about how this is something we must do, it doesn’t put us in the right frame of mind. But when we approach it as an act of self care, a moment to enjoy ourselves and one of lives great pleasures, it can make eating mindfully a privilege rather than a chore.
Cook Your Own Food
Cooking your own food is a beautiful way to connect to your meals and become present. The ritual of preparing food begins the digestive process as we begin to smell the aromas and anticipate enjoying the food, and requires an attention that brings our mind to the present moment. This wonderful to incorporate when the time is available.
Create the Environment
Sit somewhere comfortable, maybe outside or by a window, or at your table. Wherever is the most inviting and aesthetically pleasing. It's much more enjoyable to be present with your meal if the present is somewhere you’d like to be. I love to sit on my balcony, or when the weather is cool, I enjoy curling up on the sofa with a blanket. Know that it’s not essential to sit at the dining table - for me, that feels quite stiff.
Put Away Distractions
We live in a time when our minds are constantly being pulled in various directions. This puts our body on high alert, and prevents us from entering the rest and digest state (parasympathetic nervous system) that allows us to digest and absorb the nutrients from our food. Distractions also decrease our satisfaction as we're only half there for the experience.
I recommend avoiding screens, podcasts, books, or anything else that demands our attention while eating, with the exception of good company. If silence doesn’t feel good for you, try calming music. Eating without distractions may be uncomfortable at first, and that's okay. With time it will become more natural and enjoyable as the mind gets used to this practice.
Press Pause on Responsibilities
It can be very challenging to be present when our mind is occupied with all that we must accomplish in our day and what we are returning to after our meal. It's also hard to let go of these thought so rather than letting go, I like to imagine putting them in a box, on a shelf, just for a moment while I enjoy my meal. They will be there waiting for me when I finish, and I’ll likely return with even more clarity and mental energy to address them.
Give Gratitude
Eating mindfully can also involve thoughts of gratitude and appreciation for all that took place for the food arrive on your plate. The natural earth elements that grew the food, the farmers who tended to it, the journey it took and the love and time that went into preparing the meal. It’s a lovely way to create presence and uplift your state of mind.
Become Present with Breath
In a world full of distractions, demands and other stressors, our bodies lives in fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) most of the time. When we're in this state, digestion is put on hold as the body focuses it’s attention and resources on other areas. Taking a few deep, slow, belly breaths before a meal is a powerful way to shift the body into the rest and digest state needed for digestion. It not feels good in our body, but it allows for digestive enzymes and stomach acid to rise to optimal levels. Try inhaling slowing through the nose, drawing the air into the low belly, and exhaling slowly out of the mouth. Repeat 5-8x however long it takes for you to feel the shift.
Slow Down + Chew Well
Digestion begins in our minds as we anticipate our meals, and then continues in our mouths. The act of chewing is an essential part of digestion, as we mechanically break down our food with our teeth, and chemically with the salivary enzymes in our mouth. Digestion is the most energy demanding process in the body, and the burden on the digestive system is dramatically increased when we don’t chew our food well. This leads to a decrease in absorption from our food and fatigue in our body.
When beginning mindful eating, I recommend counting how may times you chew, aiming for 30-40 per bite. That may sound excessive but just try it — you want your food to resemble something like apple sauce before swallowing. It can also be helpful to put your fork down between bites, as this encourages a slower pace. It may seem unappealing at first, but how many times have you eaten a meal without really tasting tasting or remembering it? Slowing down and chewing well allows you to taste and savor your food.
Tune Into Your Senses
A wonderful way to become present and fully enjoy yourself at meals is to tune into your senses. Notice the colors, what you smell, the flavors you taste. Notice how your body feels as you continue to eat, chewing slowly and mindfully. Take pauses, take breath. There’s no rush. Tuning into your senses is a powerful way to enhance the experience and create satiety.
Notice How You Feel
During and after a meal, check in with your body and mind. Do you feel calm? Satisfied? Nourished? Or are you tried or bloated? This allows you to be more intuitive with your food, knowing how different foods influence your body and what you true hunger levels are.
Begin Any Moment
If you notice you’ve eaten half your meal without being present, there’s no need to wait for a fresh start at your next meal. At any point, you can put down your fork, take a deep breath, and regain presence.