‘One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.’ – Luciano Pavarotti
What to eat and what not to eat? Which new diet to follow? What are the latest must-have superfoods? There is plenty of discussion about what we should or should not be eating but much less attention is paid to the question of how we eat it.
Mindful eating is not so concerned with the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ foods and how much to eat. Mindful eating is concerned with how we eat.
So often, we either shovel food into our mouths without paying any attention to what we're eating and whether we feel full or obsess over what we should or shouldn't eat. Mindful eating is not directed by charts and scales and it's not dictated by an ‘expert’. It's guided by you. You are the expert. In the process of learning to eat mindfully, you replace any ‘food guilt’ you may have with curiosity, nurturing and respect for your own wisdom.
Finding ways to slow down and eat and drink intentionally – ways that fit with your lifestyle – are part of developing a truly healthy relationship with food.
Mindful eating simply aims to reconnect you more deeply with the experience of eating and drinking – and enjoying – your food. Mindful eating is a way to rediscover one of the most pleasurable things we do as human beings.
