So one of the previous blogs was about Food Demons. I realize
that this new commitment to a healthy lifestyle is going to be a lifelong
battle. Our family trip to Florida a few weeks ago was a case in point. We still
juiced for breakfast but the rest of the day and the exercise routine went a
little haywire. To be expected on vacation, yes, but still it served as a reminder
that we are subject to human
weakness.
I talked before about arming myself with tools that will
help me battle my food addiction. Years ago, I attended a magazine photo shoot
of one of my good friends who is a model. She was modeling for an article about
something called "mindful eating". I had never heard of this before but she
explained it to me and it’s been something I’ve stored in the corners of my
mind since then. I realized last week that I can use "Mindful Eating" as one
these tools.
What is mindful eating? (Click the picture below and it will take you to the article. Please take the time to read it because it will make you think differently on how you eat when hungry.)
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| Every Bite you take written by: Sarah Lavender Smith |
In summary “eating mindfully involves slowing down and using all your senses to explore and savor food, and using your hunger and fullness cues to guide you to start and stop eating…but it’s not about losing weight as much as it’s about appreciating food more and sustaining a healthy relationship with it.”
Well what do you know about that? Exactly the kind of
solution I’ve been looking for already stored in the recesses of my brain
seemingly filled with useless information. So my goal this week is to practice "mindful eating", whatever I’m eating and even while I’m cooking. I will look at
all the colors, flavors, textures and smell all the smells. I will not make
large quantities of food and I will put only a very small amount on my plate.
My goal is to taste and enjoy my food rather than scarfing it down. I love the
taste of vegetables when they aren’t soaked in salt and butter and meat is so
filling that you really only need a small amount of it to be satisfied. Sometimes
a sauce or spice can bring out flavors or heighten how well different kinds of
food blend together.
But sometimes they can overpower the food and wash away all the subtle nuances.
I invite anyone who is reading this blog and trying to engage in a healthier lifestyle to join me this week.
A quote from the doctor in the article: “Now, pay attention bite by bite. As they say in Las Vegas, ‘You have to be present to win.’ ”
