Mindful Eating

A while back, I had a friend that invited me to a, "Mindful Eating" presentation at a local Whole Foods market.  I had no idea what mindful eating was.  I guessed it was minding that you don't eat too much fatty foods, or that processed sugars are bad for you or that you need more vegetables in your diet.

It wasn't that at all.  It was a valuable, and free, hour at the grocery store.  The presenter told us to go get our food from the buffet or anything else you wanted.  It didn't matter what or how much you got, just go and get your meal.

When we got back she said, "We are now going to eat a meal in silence.  We're going to focus on the food and be mindful of what we're eating."  Huh?

But it made sense.  She explained that we have put such emphasis on food in our society that we can make food more important than it should be.  We can agonize over what we are or aren't eating.  We can eat food so quickly that we don't even think about what we're eating until we've eaten far more than we should have.

So we sat and ate.  We thought about every mouthful.  She explained that it is common to have the next bite of food prepared before you've eaten the current bite of food.  When that happens, we eat more quickly so that we can get to the next bite.

I ate.  I thought about my food.  I had one of the best meals in a long time because I wasn't worried about how much or what I was eating.  I just enjoyed the food.  And I believe I ate a lot less than I would have normally because I ate slowly and thought about it as I was eating it.

Most surprisingly of all, was the benefit no conversation had on the meal.  I talk.  A lot.  Sort of non-stop.  But I couldn't look at my neighbor and say how terribly delicious my pineapple basil ice cream was.  I had to turn all the enjoyment in and focus on it myself.

I don't usually remember to mindfully eat, but sometimes something reminds me and I remember to enjoy what I'm eating and not hurry through it.  Right now, lunch is on the way home with my husband.  A brie and spinach wrap that is just delightful.  I'm going to enjoy the whole sandwich slowly.  That is if the children stay asleep...

The Big Boy Update:  He knows.  He knows what the baby Go Bag looks like.  He knows if I put it by the garage door, I'm getting ready to take him somewhere.  He gets excited and runs to the garage.  Did I mention there is one door in the whole house he can open?  The garage door has a pull-down handle on it and he will head right on out in preparation for departure.  Then he gets distracted by a ball or a broom.  But he knows.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  How in the world?  She was awake from her nap yesterday and I went to get he.  As I approached her bed her mobile was on.  It shouldn't have been on.  It plays for a short while and then turns off.  She was on her stomach and she can reach up.  Somehow she managed to reach high up enough and hit the button.  Impressive for a six-month-old.