Daddy says I've mastered mindful eating!

“What’s that?  I couldn’t hear you, Lost is on…would you please wait until a commercial, I think Hurley found some more peanut butter hidden under a palm tree.” (as a half dozen pieces of buttered popcorn fall to the couch staining your shirt on their decent)

Mindful eating is all about staying in the moment.  Of course, this is good advice all day long, but I’m specifically talking about being present when you are eating.

One of the obstacles I had to overcome was to be aware of when and how much I was eating.  When I started out, I was a fast eater.  I could get through two plates before you finished your salad, quicker than a buzz cut 19-year-old fresh out of boot camp.  I had to learn to slow down and pay attention, so here’s ten great tips for you.

1.  Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before you sit down to eat, (not a high fructose corn syrup cocktail!).

2.  Only eat in designated eating areas (this means not on the couch, in bed, in your car, while standing, while putting on make up, while making dinner, I think you get the idea..in other words, at the dinner table),

3.  If you’re very hungry and dinner is not ready, try a small handful of nuts.  The fat in the nuts will trigger a reaction to tell you’re ultra slow stomach to brain messengers to start moving.  (this is the technical explanation)

4.  Put your fork down between bites.  This will make you think.

5.  Work on your veggies first.  (You ARE eating veggies, right?)

6.  Enjoy the company around you…yeah, those other folks are talking to you.

7.  Take your time to use all of your senses to appreciate your food (sounds like gratitude again, doesn’t it?)  Notice the taste, the colors, the smells, the texture.  There is usually a lot of love that goes into food preparation, don’t scoff it down like a hungry rottweiler.

8.  Try to keep pace with the other folks at the table.  Us overweight folks tend to be the first ones done and people will usually keep eating until everyone else is done.  (Put the shovel down, private!)

9.  Use smaller plates, when possible.  Did you know that the size of our plates has grown in the last 30 years!!  Ouch..what are we doing?

10.  When you’re done, be patient, breathe in and out.  Wait a good 15 minutes (while everyone else catches up) and then decide if you really want to eat some more.

This is a very important topic and closely related to one of the Six Simple Truths (The entire concept of Awareness).  There is plenty to read on the topic of Mindful Eating on the internet.

I will definitely be posting more on this…this is where a lot of it happened for me.

I’m a tip junkie, so if you have any you’d like to forward to me, I’m always open to receive, neal@SixSimpleTruths.com

Did you read my vision?

Namaste,

Nealon

who ya gonna listen to?