Mindful eating can help you get in touch with your body's signals. Paying attention to the full experience of eating and drinking and truly enjoying the process can help you tune in to not only your hunger signals, but also to how certain foods contribute to your energy.
Here's how to eat mindfully:
1. Why are you eating?
Ask yourself why you are eating. Are you eating because you're hungry? Or because you're tired, angry or emotional? Tuning into these signals can bring eating back to its core function: to fuel your body.
2. Be present
Disconnect from your technology as you sit at the table. Tune into the enjoyment of your meal and be fully present in your interactions. Set the intention to connect, share, and listen!
3. Pay Attention
Chew your food properly. Stop eating when you feel full. Savor each bite and really notice each flavor and texture. Pay attention to how each food makes you feel. Does it energize you or make you feel weighed down?
4. Express Gratitude
Take time before each meal to express gratitude for the food on your plate and for the people and systems that allowed it to arrive there.
5. Make and grow your own food
Making your own food or growing produce in the garden helps you connect to where your food comes from. It can also help you cultivate an appreciation for the meal and how it is engaging with your body.
This is an excerpt from my ebook Energize