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When was the last time that you ate a meal that you truly enjoyed? Do you remember what the food tasted like, smelled like, textures, colors, the temperature of the food? Do you remember where you were when you had this meal? Were you alone or were you with friends or family? Do you remember the atmosphere of the meal? Were you having an amazing conversation and laughing with the people around you? Did you savor each bite of what you were eating?
Often when people try to recall a memorable meal it can take them some time. Usually, they’ll think of a special occasion where they were with loved ones, out at a nice restaurant in a beautiful place. Or sometimes they’ll think of a home-cooked meal their parents always make when they visit home. Or maybe it was a new recipe their partner spent Friday evening carefully preparing for them.
On the other hand, if I asked you to recall what you ate for dinner on a Wednesday three weeks ago, you might have more trouble bringing to mind what you ate. If I asked you to recall sensory details from that dinner you would likely struggle: “I think it was a turkey sandwich? It tasted okay, nothing special, maybe a little bland?” Or maybe you could bring to mind a meal that you thought tasted good. Maybe you picked up a fast food burger and fries from your favorite burger chain. But, when you brought it home you ended up turning on your favorite show, eating the burger in a couple minutes and the next thing you remember is falling asleep on the couch. You hardly even remember how the burger tasted.
The reality is that many people operate on autopilot when it comes to eating. Most people eat from a mix of emotions and habits. They might eat mindlessly without taking a second to pause and appreciate the flavors or any other details of what they are consuming. They might eat to calm themselves down after a stressful day or to avoid thinking about other issues in their lives. On the flip side, other people may have great difficulty consuming any food at all. Eating may be a stressful activity associated with judgment, negativity, and fear. It may be hard to really enjoy food, even food that tastes good because it is so closely linked with body image issues and past hurts.
One of the simplest ways to shift this unhealthy relationship that most people have with this basic activity is introducing mindfulness to the experience. Mindfulness simply defined is bringing an open, non-judgmental attention to whatever experience we are having in the present moment. Although mindfulness has become increasingly popular and accepted in our culture, many people still associate it primarily with the image of someone sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion focusing on their breathing in a quiet place. While mindfulness certainly can include a formal sitting meditation practice, that is only one way to practice this approach to living. Mindfulness can be applied to any activity that we participate in throughout the day, and eating is an activity that can serve as a perfect place to incorporate mindfulness.
Eating mindfully involves slowing down the process of eating and bringing attention to each bite of food we are consuming. Sometimes it can help to start with something small to demonstrate how this process works.
How to Eat Mindfully
You can start with a piece of fruit, or really anything that is small enough to fit in your hand and isn’t going to be affected by temperature. You can begin by setting a timer for 3 minutes. Place the piece of food into the palm of your hand. Take a moment to place your gaze on this food item. Take in the colors, shapes, textures. You can move it around on your hand, observing it from different angles. Spend about 30 seconds observing the food item. You might have thoughts pop into your mind about this experience like: “This is stupid. Why am I wasting my time staring at food?” It’s normal to have all kinds of thoughts when engaging in a mindfulness activity, and thoughts are not a problem. Any time you notice yourself getting lost in thought just bring your attention back to your senses.
Next, bring the food item up to your nostrils. Take in any smells that might be coming from the food. It can sometimes help to close your eyes so that you can really take in the food through your sense of smell. Notice if anything happens in your stomach or your mouth as you smell the food. Spend about 30 seconds smelling the food.
Next, place the food item onto your tongue. You can close your eyes again if that helps tune into your senses. Don’t take a bite yet! Just, notice how it feels on your tongue. Notice if any of the flavors from the food are already getting released by the taste receptors on your tongue. Spend about 30 seconds with it on your tongue.
Now, very slowly you can move the food around your mouth and take a bite. Chew the food slowly. Notice what flavors are coming up. Notice the sensations in your mouth. Notice how it feels to be chewing the food. Notice any flavors you are getting. Spend about 30 seconds chewing the food.
When you are ready you can swallow the food and notice how it feels as it travels down your throat and moves towards your stomach. Now notice how your whole body feels as you have finished chewing the food.
This simple exercise is the foundation of mindful eating. It demonstrates how you can tune into your 5 senses the next time you are eating. While of course it isn’t realistic for most people to eat every meal in this way, setting the intention to begin this practice by eating one meal a day mindfully can be a great place to start. It can help to set a timer if you have the habit of eating quickly. Try to give yourself at least 30 minutes to eat your meal. Bring a mindful awareness to each bite of food that you consume. Take time to slowly chew each bite before moving on to the next bite. It can help to put down your fork between each bite so that you are not already mentally moving on to the next bite before finishing the first. If you notice yourself slipping into autopilot mode again, don’t worry! That is very normal. When you’ve had a lifetime of eating for efficiency it takes time to retrain your mind and body to slow down. Give this practice a try and see how it can help shift your relationship towards food and your body.
**If you found this article interesting and want to learn more I recommend looking at Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers, Psyd. It’s a more in-depth look at incorporating mindfulness into your life through eating and the psychology behind why it works.
