5 Mindful Eating Basics

Mindfulness isn't a long meditation. The difference between mindfulness and meditation is that mindfulness takes only a few seconds- less than 5 in fact- to show benefits! So even if you aren't someone who has time to meditate every day, practicing small moments of mindfulness can make powerful contributions to you mindset and long-term health.

1 ~ Set up a morning ritual with your morning meal.

Mornings have the power to set the tone for the rest of your day. Starting the day off rushed and frazzled, you’re more likely to carry that frenetic energy with you for the rest of the day. Instead, create 5, 10, 15 minutes to eat.

Use this time to just eat. You can take a moment to even tune into your coffee or tea- smell it, acknowledge the sound it makes as it brews, taste it, take a deep breath and pause.

2 ~ Let this space help you set intentions for your day.

Eating is a perfect time to use mindfulness. Meals and even snacks are a time stop multitasking and bring focus to the act of eating. We feel the overwhelm of the upcoming day or get caught up making long 'To Do' lists. Yet how often do we actually set realistic expectations to accomplish these things? Using the space you have to eat, you can recharge and reset.

Use it as a time to shift what you are doing and acknowledge the tasks you've completed. Then re-assess what you think is reasonable and most important to accomplish before your next stopping point, which may be your next meal or eating break. Let this be an intentional and deliberate time instead of pushing it away by eating with a distracting device or tuning out of the experience. This is your time to take care of yourself. And when you care for yourself, you can show up for others better. You can also manage the stressors and demands that unexpectedly show up with thoughtfulness and patience because your basic needs are fulfilled. Who handles stress well on an empty stomach, unfocused with no energy? No one.

3 ~ Bring your own mindful snacks.

Take food with you on-the-go so you aren't subject to your food environment. You're much less likely to eat the Friday morning donuts or conference lunch pizza if you have alternates that taste even better. That means, bring foods that you find satisfying to your cravings, even your own personal sweets. Then you don't need to go for whatever is offered because you have exactly what you actually crave.

So when you bring chocolate, eat to savor it! When you decide to eat something you are excited about, eat it deliberately and with delight! Eat it before your meal if you want. Don't eat it when you feel upset about an email or get your afternoon low-energy lull. Embrace the taste and make sure you have those other foods at hand that satisfy your hunger and help give you an energy boost. You always want to bring foods with you that serve you- meaning they satisfy your hunger pangs and serve your goals as healthy food choices.

4 ~ Take mindful breaks throughout the day.

Set intentional breaks for yourself by walking or getting fresh air. It's shown that by taking breaks, people end up performing more productively than when they skip through them. I've even suggested to many people to use a lunch break as exercise time before they eat lunch. Have you ever noticed that sometimes your energy at the end of the day isn't quite enough to consistently make that commitment? You can even get work colleagues together to meet for 15 minute walk breaks or walk somewhere different with your lunch.

Find a way to get-away. Did you know the amount of bacteria on our desktops is 400 times more than that you would find on your average office toilet seat?! Getting away from your computer when you eat is a more hygienic approach at the very least.

5 ~ Find your people.

Talk to your friends, co-workers, family, yogi-pals and exercise-buds about mindful eating. Find people that you can share your mindful eating journey with, your ideas and struggles to find support in each other. The Center for Mindful Eating is a great resource to the public and professionals, publishing new articles to share at work, or with friends, and even hosts routine free educational talks online for many people who want to try something new!