To answer this question, you may want another questioned answered first – “What does it mean to live mindfully?” There is a simple answer, but to live this way regularly is by no means simple! To live mindfully, is to live with intention, with conscious awareness, and the understanding that every action (or inaction) has a response, a consequence. I will soon delve deeper into 3 different areas of mindful living, but first I will share a brief summary of them all to hopefully peak your interest and help you learn mindful living benefits and ways to start living mindfully today! Today’s blog will be on Mindful Eating.

So, let’s get started by talking about Mindful Eating. Everyday Health describes mindful eating as “Mindful eating is a concept and a practice that’s centered around being present while making choices around the food that we eat”. Easy right? Not so fast. Many of us have grown up in a western society where time is money. Taking time to eat mindfully is often out of the question, especially during the week when our meals are around (or during) business meetings, catching up on the news, or talking with family.

Harvard School of Public Health lists “Seven Practices of Mindful Eating”. For this post, I will go over just a few of my favorites that I try to follow daily, but they are all so good!

1. Honor your food. For example, when I take my first sip of coffee, I take some time to acknowledge all those that helped this yummy coffee find its way in my cup today (the human who planted the seed, the farmers who cared for and nurtured the plant, nature that watered and helped it grow, the people who harvested and packaged the beans, and any other beings that helped me come to enjoy this daily cup of my favorite joe). For my meals, I try to also practice this mindful process.
   • Now, you may find that you don’t know where the food came from or how it was prepared. This is where awareness and curiosity comes in. Depending on where you live and its climate, along with the choices available (or not available) for fresh produce or communication with the farmer on the process of the item you are consuming, this can be a challenging (but very important!) step in honoring the food you are choosing for your body (physically, mentally, and emotionally). I encourage you to take the time to ask the questions of your local farmer/rancher, your local supermarket, about the food you are purchasing with your hard earned money, and nourishing your body (and mind) with. For me personally, I find the more steps there are from the farmer to my table, the less likely I will want to consume this food or drink item.
2. Engage your senses. Really see and taste the food. Before you take the first bite, look at your plate. Is it a rainbow of colors or just one or two colors of foods. More vibrant colors on your plate may make you smile and also give you more overall nutrients for your body. Take in a whiff. Does it smell good? Your senses affect your emotions, your mood, and more importantly relating to your food – your digestion. Also, chew slowly, which gives you the added benefit of not eating too much! Now, as you eat, notice how it makes you feel – its texture, its taste, both emotionally and physically. Are you eating nutritious foods for your body? Which leads to my final mindful eating suggestion for today.
3. Consider the long-term effects of your food choices. This conscious awareness brings a unique connection to your food and drink choices and the rest of the world, your community, the environment. (I will go deeper into this mindful way of living when I talk about your super human power as purchaser and consumer in the market place.) Stay tuned!
   • For some, this step of mindful eating will be choosing only locally grown produce (farmers and growers in your community). This can be more challenging for those that are living in an environment where choices are limited because of climate and other farmer/grower-to-table options.
   • For others, this choice of mindful eating may be choosing an only plant-based diet; whether for making better choices for your long-term health benefits, or honoring the humane treatment of animals, or the long-term effects on the environment. This point is connected with “Honor the Food” above. If it is important to you, take the time to find out about the food source, where the food source came from, how the food was made, how the food was grown, and (if an animal source) how the animals were treated along the way.

Are you ready to practice mindful eating? (If you already practice mindful eating, I would love to hear more about your process, your tips. Please leave them in the comments.) For those of you who are ready to start this mindfulness practice but are feeling a little overwhelmed, I suggest you start with the first suggestion “Honor your food”. Take just one meal (or just one daily drink) and before you consume it, reflect on the many hands that helped this food come to your table. Breathe in a moment of gratitude. Just one moment of gratitude ignites calming energy within your body and also shares this amazing energy of gratitude to the world around you.

Your choices, as simple or as complex as they may be, will make a huge impact on your health, your life, and the world around you. Thank you for being mindful today!

And as they say in Costa Rica – ¡Buen provecho!

Blessings,

Alexis