Mindful eating brings the principles of mindfulness to our often rushed and automatic mealtimes.  Dr. Jan Chozen Bays defines mindfulness as, “…deliberately paying attention, being fully aware of what is happening both inside and outside yourself – in your body, heart and mind – and outside yourself, in your environment. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgement.”

I love that last part – awareness without criticism or judgement.  That’s part of what first led me to learning more about mindful eating.  The fact that there was finally something that I could do to help overcome my food hangups without making me feel all yucky inside – mentally, that is.  Mindful eating is not guilt-inducing, and it reconnects the body with the process and pleasure of eating.

“Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both inside and outside the body. We pay attention to the colors, smells, textures, flavors, temperatures, and even the sounds (crunch!) of our food. We pay attention to the experience of the body. Where in the body do we feel hunger? Where do we feel satisfaction? What does half-full feel like, or three quarters full?”

Admittedly, having a truly mindful eating experience will be difficult at first.  It involves turning off the television, putting down the iphone, and spending some quiet time really savoring, enjoying, and most importantly EXPERIENCING your food. 

This can’t be done in the car or while texting, but I promise that once you learn to eat mindfully, you’ll do anything to protect the sanctity of your mealtimes.

Need a little help getting started?  Try focusing on general mindfulness first before applying the principle to eating.  Try these Six Steps to Living in the Moment.