Mindful Eating
Mindful Eating Activity Two
When you are next eating something, try taking one fairly small fork or spoon-full of food and put it in your mouth and then put the fork or spoon down. Focus on the food until you have finished eating what it in your mouth, rather than focusing on getting the next fork or spoon-full of food ready for eating.
The benefits of this are that we enjoy and appreciate our food more, we eat slower, and the signals that our stomachs send to out brains telling us that we are full are sent before we have over-eaten.
Mindful Eating Activity One
Take a piece of dried fruit such as a raisin, a single piece of chocolate, a wild raspberry that you have picked on your walk or any small item of food that you like.
Start by explore the item of food with your eyes, as if you have never seen anything like this before. Turn it around with your fingers. What colour is it? What is the surface like?
Hold it in your hand, and explore the texture and feel of it for a few moments (you may need to do this part quicker if it’s chocolate as it will begin to melt).
Hold it to your nose and take a few slow deep breaths and see if it has a smell.
As you do this, notice anything interesting that may be happening in your mouth or stomach.
Now place it on your tongue for a few moments. What does it feel like? Is your mouth watering?
Now bite into it. Where is it in your mouth? Begin chewing slowly. What are the sensations in your teeth? Your tongue? How does your tongue move when you chew? What part of your tongue is experiencing the taste?
When you feel ready to swallow it, notice the intention to swallow as it comes up, so that even this is experienced consciously before you actually swallow the item.
How did this experience differ from the way you usually eat?
What would it be like if you ate this way most of the time?
Mindful eating is about paying attention to your food, on purpose, moment by moment, and without judgment, focusing on a sensual awareness of the food you are eating and your experience of eating it.
In essence, mindful eating involves:
eating slowly and without distraction
engaging your senses by noticing colours, smells, sounds, textures, and flavours
appreciating your food
Eating mindfully can help you to:
Slow down and take a break from the hustle and bustle of your day, easing stress and anxiety
Derive greater pleasure from the food you eat, as you learn to slow down and more fully appreciate your food
Make healthier choices about what you eat by focusing on how different type of food make you feel after eating it
Improve your digestion by eating slower
Feel fuller sooner and by eating less food
Make a greater connection to where your food comes from, how it’s produced, and the journey it’s taken to your plate
Eat in a healthier, more balanced way