Eating Mindfully

by Carla Royal on September 1, 2011

mindful eating Eating Mindfully

I’ve been thinking about food a lot lately.  I’ve decided it’s time to clean up my act.  My diet has gone to pot in the past month with my move, Daddy’s diagnosis, and the death of Buttercup.  I’ve been eating crap and I feel like crap as a result.  Eating poorly also impacts me in other areas as well.  It is time to reel myself back to mindful eating.

I want to clean up my eating habits for four reasons:

  1. To feel better.
  2. To get healthy and strong.
  3. To support my spiritual journey.
  4. To lose some weight.

I know that the way I am currently eating is not working.  I feel sluggish, bloated, and foggy.  My energy is down.  I’ve gained a few pounds.  I’d even say that my current way of eating is interfering with my spiritual journey because I’m eating unconsciously.

I could use food as a way to deepen my spiritual life instead of as a hindrance.  Eating can become part of my sadhana–part of my spiritual practices.  I only need to bring intention to my eating–mindful eating.

I found an article on Elephant Journal by Tina Fossella, MFT on mindful eating the other day.  These are the basic tips she shares:

  1. Prepare a clean table, eliminating all distractions.
  2. Prepare food and portion on plate before sitting down.
  3. Sit down and relax.  Take a few deep breaths.  Bring your attention to your body and any tension there.
  4. Notice how the food looks (shape, color, texture)
  5. Smell the food before eating.
  6. Say a heartfelt thank you (I added this one).
  7. Taste each bite, noting the varieties of tastes.  Put down the fork when becoming distracted and bring attention back to breath.
  8. Notice the sounds around you as well as the sounds of eating.
  9. Bring you awareness to your body.  Notice how you are sitting in your chair, how you take your bites.  Notice feelings of fullness and satiety.
  10. Once finished, sit quietly to allow yourself to process the experience of eating.

I have printed out this list and I intend to eat my main meal, at least, using these tips.

I am interested to see how shifting from eating mindlessly to mindful eating affects me.

What is your experience with mindful eating versus unconscious eating?

Are you interested in exploring your habits?  Would you like support in establishing habits that serve rather than hinder you?  Then take advantage of a Complimentary 45-minute Discovery Session (a $120 value) that I am offering for free for a limited time.  Contact me to schedule your complimentary discovery session by clicking on the Contact Carla tab.

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Tagged as: attention, awareness, distractions, food, habit, health, intention, mindfulness, spiritual practices

  • http://www.neebeep.com/itsownsweetwillneebeepc/ Lisa Taylor

    I think it makes such a difference yet is so hard to do!  I am trying though :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=683353008 Debra Elizabeth Archibald

    OH WOW ….. to be consciously aware of the above, and eat – one must really enjoy eating your meal!  I like this! Going to give it a try for myself!  Thank you xx

  • Jen

    I so wish I could have you come over for dinner, Carla. :)

  • http://www.dailyorganizedchaos.com Bibi

    These are fantastic tips. I’ve been through major eating changes last few years….I went from complete everyday unconscious eating and overeating to mindful eating and it’s like discovering new world….the food tastes so much better…..I make healthier choices and I started really enjoy cooking at home again. That’s when I started my cooking blog.

  • http://NorthOnHarper.com Alexis of NorthOnHarper

    Something that we include in our mindful eating practices is—
    -buy local and organic: we want to be good stewards of the world we live in.
    -buy humane and sustainably raised proteins: again we want to be good stewards.
    -always include a prayer of thanks for the life lost for our meal (I am not a vegetarian, nor do I have any intention of becoming one, but I do believe that a loss of life should be recognized)
    -Eat as whole as possible: avoiding processed food allows me to know exactly what is going into my body.  This way I am more aware of how food (and certain ingredients) effects me.  Additionally I have a greater awareness of what it is I am actually consuming.

    Sorry for the diatribe.  This is something I am very very passionate about…. I just think we need to be better stewards of the world we live in…. 

  • http://www.marciescudderphotography.com Marcie

    There is something so inspiring about mindful eating..but – I do confess – I don’t often take the time. Thanks for the reminder to do so..

  • Anonymous

    Excellent advice, Alexis, and I agree wholeheartedly!  

  • Anonymous

    I would love that, Jen.  Maybe one day!

  • Leslie Green

    I have a few things to say on this topic.  First, I agree with you 100%.  The other day I was reading Living Buddha, Living Christ and the author, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh wrote quite a bit about mindful eating.  As part of his religions tradition and spiritual practice, mindful eating is a very large part of it.  As I read his words, I had this inner feeling that perhaps getting to that level of mindful eating was not for me, as I’m not a Buddhist monk, and lead a very different lifestyle, however, the point for me was not to emulate his practice, to merely to have my own practice, which doesn’t involve wolfing something down with no regard at all to taste, where it came from, etc.  Reading what I would consider to be one extreme *for me* (not talking while you eat so you only focus on food and not on people) would not work for me personally, staying in the middle and finding an appreciation for food and making better choices does make a lot of sense and is something I feel I can incorporate in my daily life.

    The second thing I wanted to offer up, Carla, was a documentary I saw recently.  Although a food documentary, it was very different from others I’ve seen and I would highly encourage others to watch it.  It’s called “Forks Over Knives”.  I simply streamed it over Netflicks – - VERY good movie.  I found it to be encouraging and the messages it provided made me stop and thing and *want to* change my eating habits.  I especially liked hearing the science and research studies behind many of the points they made and also how long some of these studies took place – -in some instances data was collected over decades! 

    Good luck.  Let’s keep each other posted on how we’re doing.  :-)

    Love, Leslie

  • Anonymous

    Thank you, Leslie, for such a mindful reply!  I just watched Forks Over Knives about a week ago and it was great.  I agree with your assessment of it.  And like any practice, as you say, we must find ways to make them our own.  We are each unique and what works for me may not work for you.  But practice is essential to well-being, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual.  Thanks for your comment!

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