Mindfulness is paying attention to what's happening in the present moment without judgement. In other words, mindfulness is about becoming aware of what we are doing and letting go of the judgements we have about it.
We tend to create judgements about ourselves and what we eat. Many times we can find ourselves distracted or on fast-forward when it comes to the ritual of eating. The trouble is, the art of food and our experience can become lost.
Using mindfulness emphasizes how we eat. Mindfulness focuses on tuning into the body and discovering what we deeply desire. This is quite different from what mainstream nutrition messages shared to the general public. Usually we hear about what foods to eat and the research about why certain foods are healthy.
By only focusing on what we eat, we may believe that foods are only either good or bad. And by limiting our beliefs to good versus bad foods, we can miss out on the purpose of food, the nourishment all foods offer, our body's innate biological needs and desires, our memories we associate with our foods and the connections we make with people when we eat socially.
This approach is about giving yourself your undivided attention. Checking-in with your body, honoring what your body asks of you and giving yourself permission to experiment with food. It's the ultimate form of respect and trust that we have been taught to deny ourselves.
It's not about the destination, it's the journey.
Your journey may be about pausing for only a few seconds to check-in with your body.
It could be pausing for gratitude before your meal.
It may be approaching food with intention, slowing down and experiencing your meal, savoring your favorite foods or merely making time to eat.
For others, it may be re-framing food as self-care and not something "you have to do" but as something you get to do for yourself.
It's important to make mindful adjustment to our perceptions around food. Re-framing foods from "good" vs "bad" and instead finding acceptance with all foods we desire, allowing for a positive and productive relationship with food.
We can learn to check-in with the body and acknowledge hunger as it arises and respond well before feeling exhausted or depleted.
When we create space for something as profound and pleasurable as eating, we can find the satisfaction within it and connection to our body's intuition.
Connecting with food can be an essential pathway to destination-health.
How could mindfulness be apart of your dietary rituals?
What judgements do you notice?
What re-framing exercises would serve you to let go and better care for your health?
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