Guest Posting: 5 Steps To Mindful Eating

You are here: Home > Family & Home > Current Article

Guest Posting: 5 Steps To Mindful Eating

By Ella Rucker / February 15, 2013 / 2 Comments

Creative Commons/tango_28

Guest Posting:
5 Steps To Mindful Eating

This morning I practiced mindful eating with my daughter, Aria. Okay, well, in reality I worked on getting my 15-month-old to use her spoon and not shove bite after bite into her mouth like one of the guys in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, but the idea of eating more mindfully has indeed been on my to-do list.

Mindful eating is a challenge. Most of us are used to eating on the go — in our cars or on our walk to work — and rushing through lunch breaks or just trying to get a bite in to our own mouths in between trying to get one into our child’s. More often than not we don’t sit down and leisurely enjoy a meal, much less take the time to think about what we’re eating and savor each bite.

However, the benefits of mindful eating are greater than you might realize. Weight loss, enjoyment gain, greater gratitude and a total shift in our attitude towards food are just a few. While being mindful at every meal may be a challenge, getting started on a path to it doesn’t have to be.

CHOOSE CAREFULLY

Creative Commons/Frank Kehren

Mindful eating begins before the actual act of eating even starts. Choosing foods that are healthy, fresh and will make you feel good after eating them is the first step.

PRIORITIZE YOUR MEAL TIME

Creative Commons/Earls37a

Setting aside time for your meal is essential. Making sure you can sit and relax while you eat is key. You may not be able to carve out a huge amount of time for each meal, but making sure the time you do have is well spent is essential.

FOCUS ON THE FOOD

Creative Commons/visitnola

Even if it’s just a 15 minute coffee break, make sure to focus on the star of the show–the food. Savor the flavor, texture, temperature and whole experience of eating. If this seems difficult, you may want to force yourself to chew each bite a certain amount of times (27 is what some recommend) in order to consciously savor each bite.

DISCONNECT

Creative Commons/Sky Noir

During meal time turn off the TV & computer, put the iPhone away, and (when possible) get away from the kids, chatty co-workers or anything that diverts your attention. Now, I am not saying sit in solitude every meal, but don’t allow yourself to be distracted to the point that you don’t even remember eating your meal.

BE GRATEFUL

Creative Commons/Viewminder

The one thing you do want to bring to the table is a grateful attitude. Acknowledging how fortunate we are for the food on our plates will change our attitude and the way we eat. Taking a moment of silence at the start of a meal or saying a little prayer before that first bite is an easy way to start your meal mindfully. Bon appetit!

More from GEM:

10 From GEM: Unique Sweet Treats

10 From GEM: Valentine’s Day Edition: Sexy Cuisine In Under 30 Minutes

10 From GEM: Easy And Unusual Last Minute Valentine’s Day Fun

Vanessa Alfano is the Founder of HealthyStyleNY.com. She developed HSNY after being confronted with the question “What is your passion?” A former features reporter for Fox5’s Good Day NY and on-air correspondent for CBS2, Vanessa has learned that balance and health need to stand at the forefront to be truly successful in life.

Vanessa is no stranger to healthy living. Raised by a mother who made her own organic baby food and introduced her to yoga, Vanessa had the value of good health instilled in her early. Being a new mom, Vanessa now focuses on the joy (and madness) of motherhood, and continues the healthy journey for herself and her family.

Through HealthyStyleNY.com, Vanessa seeks to inform and empower women, and hopes all will see the huge benefits of a living a healthy lifestyle. She truly believes that the most beautiful style, is a healthy style.