By Cristel Moubarak, 4th year Dietetics Student
Thunderbird Residence Advisor, Cassiar (1000 block)
You come home after a long mentally exhausting day; food is on your hunt and always deliciously appetizing. You smell the irresistible combination of aromas and observe the mouth-watering food as you prepare or purchase it. Your taste buds and hunger just can’t wait any longer! You finally get your meal and ready to devour it.
What happens next?
Do you sit down to eat at the dining table? Do you go to your desk and eat while studying? Do you have it ‘to-go’ and eat while sitting in class or meeting? Do you join a group of friends and eat in the courtyard? Believe it or not, the place, situation, company and meal duration are all factors in your eating habits and health in the short and long term. All these factors are part of a process called mindful eating.
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is a concept that has recently become a great focus for our nutritionists and dietitians in BC. There’s no complex model behind it. It is simply getting connected with your food, and finding pleasure in every bite. Unfortunately our lives have become overwhelmingly busy that we are always grabbing a bite to-go or downing a meal in a matter of minutes without putting much thought into the food experience. This ‘mindless eating’ not only breaks the bond of joyful eating, but it also contributes to passive overeating. In other words, we override the time it takes for our brain to register satiety by eating quickly or distractedly.
When I was first introduced to mindful eating, I immediately thought: “I LOVE my food, and enjoy every bite; but I enjoy it VERY quickly”. For someone like me, enjoying my food is a starting point. I already have a connection with my food, but it’s time for me to practice having a seat and taking the time to savor it.
You, too, can have a relationship with your food, perhaps by sitting down to a meal and thinking only about the food you are consuming. Add one minute, one meal at a time, to focus your thoughts, evaluate and cherish the appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, tenderness, and moistness as you bite into your food. The next thing you know, every bite is a whole new meaningful experience.
References: Mindless Eating: http://mindlesseating.org/
Mindful Eating as Food for Thought: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html?ref=dining
Feeling Full? : http://healthyfamiliesbc.ca/communities/heathy-eating/feeling-full.html