March 16, 2010
THE MINDFUL FAMILY: Mindful Eating
By Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT-I
We have an obesity epidemic in this country. Fad diets come and go, but the missing component to many of these diets is how we think about eating. The idea of Mindful Eating is that if we focus on eating, and only on eating, then every bite can be as enjoyable as the last one.
You may find that if you can approach eating with a Mindful attitude, you may not have to diet at all.
The first step in Mindful Eating is to prepare yourself for the experience of eating. Eating is not something you want to do while multitasking! If you have a habit of eating at the computer, or while watching television, or while doing any of a hundred other activities, make a conscious decision right now that from now on, when you eat, the only thing you will be doing is focusing on eating.
If you’re a person who wolfs down meals, the first thing you will want to do is to learn to slow down. It takes quite a bit of time for your brain to get the signal that you are full. If you eat quickly, it is quite possible that you continue to eat before your brain gets the signal to stop. Slowing down will allow your body’s natural systems the time they need to signal your brain that you are full.
To practice Mindful Eating, first eliminate all distractions. You may find it helpful to do a brief centering exercise prior to beginning the meal. To do this, simply take a few deep breaths at the table, allowing your thoughts, feelings, and other mental distractions to quiet down before beginning to eat.
When you are centered, begin to eat by focusing only on one bite at a time. Pay attention to the flavors and textures of the food. Savor each bite for as long as possible before swallowing. Give no thought to the next bite until you’ve finished enjoying the food that is already in your mouth. As you eat, feel the sensations that your body is giving you. Can you pinpoint exactly when you are full?
Another part of Mindful Eating is learning to distinguish between ‘hunger’ and ‘appetite.’ You may have a craving for your favorite sweet, but is that really hunger talking, or is it just your appetite? Hunger is more of an actual physical sensation (stomach rumbling, etc.), while appetite is more of a psychological craving. A psychological craving is the product of a thought process. If you can learn to change this thought process, you will learn to control your appetite.
As you continue to grow in your practice of Mindful Eating, pay attention to how your body experiences food. Do certain foods give you more or less energy? Do certain foods seem to change your moods? Are there foods that heighten your overall sense of wellbeing? Allow your body to teach you how it handles the food you eat, and how it responds to your diet.
Charlton Hall is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Intern and the Director of the Mindful Ecotherapy Organization (www.mindfulecotherapy.org). You may contact him at: chuck@mindfulecotherapy.org.
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THE MINDFUL FAMILY: Mindful Eating
By Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT-I
We have an obesity epidemic in this country. Fad diets come and go, but the missing component to many of these diets is how we think about eating. The idea of Mindful Eating is that if we focus on eating, and only on eating, then every bite can be as enjoyable as the last one.
You may find that if you can approach eating with a Mindful attitude, you may not have to diet at all.
The first step in Mindful Eating is to prepare yourself for the experience of eating. Eating is not something you want to do while multitasking! If you have a habit of eating at the computer, or while watching television, or while doing any of a hundred other activities, make a conscious decision right now that from now on, when you eat, the only thing you will be doing is focusing on eating.
If you’re a person who wolfs down meals, the first thing you will want to do is to learn to slow down. It takes quite a bit of time for your brain to get the signal that you are full. If you eat quickly, it is quite possible that you continue to eat before your brain gets the signal to stop. Slowing down will allow your body’s natural systems the time they need to signal your brain that you are full.
To practice Mindful Eating, first eliminate all distractions. You may find it helpful to do a brief centering exercise prior to beginning the meal. To do this, simply take a few deep breaths at the table, allowing your thoughts, feelings, and other mental distractions to quiet down before beginning to eat.
When you are centered, begin to eat by focusing only on one bite at a time. Pay attention to the flavors and textures of the food. Savor each bite for as long as possible before swallowing. Give no thought to the next bite until you’ve finished enjoying the food that is already in your mouth. As you eat, feel the sensations that your body is giving you. Can you pinpoint exactly when you are full?
Another part of Mindful Eating is learning to distinguish between ‘hunger’ and ‘appetite.’ You may have a craving for your favorite sweet, but is that really hunger talking, or is it just your appetite? Hunger is more of an actual physical sensation (stomach rumbling, etc.), while appetite is more of a psychological craving. A psychological craving is the product of a thought process. If you can learn to change this thought process, you will learn to control your appetite.
As you continue to grow in your practice of Mindful Eating, pay attention to how your body experiences food. Do certain foods give you more or less energy? Do certain foods seem to change your moods? Are there foods that heighten your overall sense of wellbeing? Allow your body to teach you how it handles the food you eat, and how it responds to your diet.
Charlton Hall is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Intern and the Director of the Mindful Ecotherapy Organization (www.mindfulecotherapy.org). You may contact him at: chuck@mindfulecotherapy.org.
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