The 7 Key Steps of Mindful Eating

 

Have I ever mentioned that I once had an ex-monk for a therapist who specialized in mindful eating?

Well, I did. And the reason is that, at the time, I was seriously struggling with binge eating, sugar cravings and just general food obsession. That phase of life was a challenging yet integral part of my journey on the path becoming a naturopathic physician...

I’ll tell that whole story one of these days. But for now I’ll just say that I did indeed come out the other side with a new and healthy relationship with food.

And an important skill I learned during that time was mindful eating.

Mindful Eating is just what it sounds like – eating your food with intention and presence. 

And it was hugely important in my overcoming the issues I had around food.

What’s also great is that I saw significant improvements to my digestive issues when I learned to pay attention and be present with my food!

That’s because we digest best when we are truly smelling, tasting and feeling our food.

And you also want your body to be calm and relaxed when you eat – in “rest and digest” mode.

 

So how do you do that??

The 7 Key Steps of Mindful Eating

·      Sit down to eat.

·      Take a few deep breaths before you start to get the “rest & digest”nervous system going.

·      Look at and smell your food, and smile.

·      No TV or phones while eating.

·      Eat slowly, chewing your food into a mash before swallowing.

·      Put aside stressful topics until after you eat.

·      Stop eating when you are full, not stuffed.

Be patient with yourself. Most of us did not learn good mealtime habits growing up. But with intention and practice you can create your own version of dinner table rules!  :)