It is possible to eat mindfully each time we take in food. But for many of us we do not always have the chance to be fully mindfully when we eat. There are times when we are either busy, rushing, tired or with other people that take our full awareness away from food we are consuming. That is okay.
Mindful eating can be done all the time or as a fun, simple activity to do on your own, with a friend or especially with kids. You may have heard of mindful eating but have you done it yourself? Or have you tried mindful eating recently?
Mindful eating is applying mindfulness while eating food. To unpack this further, mindfulness is being present in the moment, tuning into your senses without judgement but rather observation and awareness.
Be present. To eat mindfully is to be fully engaged and aware of what you are eating. For example, eating while doing another activity is the opposite of mindful eating. Eating in front of the television or computer distracts us from the food. What other things do you do while eating?
Pay attention. Mindful eating is paying attention to what you smell, taste and feel with the food. It is taking the time to smell the food on your plate, near your nose. It is pausing to sense the tastes of the ingredients. It is taking a moment to see how you feel when you take in the food.
Observe. Mindful eating is observing your thoughts around how the food smells and tastes. It is okay to notice if you have an adverse reaction, “oh that smells horrible”.
Practice non-judgement. In mindful eating we want to notice our smell, taste, feelings and thoughts. The practice of non-judgement is simply not judging yourself for the thought “oh that smells horrible”.
Make it a fun activity! Make mindful eating a fun activity next time you eat. You can mindful eat with your next meal or choose a specific food. I enjoy mindful eating with strawberries because of the juiciness of the fruit and the small seeds on the side of the fruit. But if strawberries aren’t in season where you life, choose any edible, peelable, ready to eat food.
Steps for Mindful Eating
Step 1: Place the food item on a plate. Observe the color and size.
Step 2: Next smell the food. Lean down to the plate or pick the item up. Take a few breaths to fully take in the smell of the food. What does it smell like? What words describe the smell? What do you notice in your body when you smell the food? Some foods bring back joyful memories, notice what you are thinking and feeling when you smell the food.
Step 3: Take the tiniest bite and keep it on your tongue – don’t swallow. Notice what the taste is like on your tongue.
Your tongue has thousands of tastebuds. What exactly are tastebuds? Taste buds are sensory organs on your tongue. Tastebuds allow us to sense flavors in food such as sweet, bitter, sour, salty, meaty (umami), cool, and hot.
Step 4: Next, suck on the little bite of food like a sucker. Again, notice what you taste? Can you sense this taste in the back of your mouth or throat?
Step 5: Swallow and pay attention to the food as it moves through your body. You will lose track of it at some point. That’s okay. Can you notice when you do?
Step 6: Tune into yourself. Share with a friend or write down what this activity felt like.
How does it feel to eat mindfully?
Did anything surprise you?
Did you notice anything new?
REPEAT!
This can be a fun activity whether by yourself or with others. You can be a food critic for a day, noting the flavors and feelings you are experiencing. Enjoy and happy eating!
Photo Credit: Photo by Bonnie Kittle