What exactly is mindful eating?
Although it is increasingly popular, the concept of mindfulness remains difficult to define and to understand in precise terms – even though it could easily be applied to most areas of everyday life.
How? Well, simply by paying conscious attention to our external environment as well as our internal sensations. Some concrete examples include listening to the sound of your own breathing, feeling the sun warming your skin, and so on.
But what about mindful eating? For the most part, this means listening the signals your body is transmitting, such as hunger or fullness. That way, if your body is telling you it has ingested enough energy, all you need to do is recognize the intentional nature of this message and respect it; in other words, stop eating! Other ways to eat mindfully include paying close attention to the flavours, aromas, and textures of your food; receiving any thoughts relating to food that come to mind; examining your attitudes and behaviours around food, and more.
Why do this? The purpose of mindful eating is to fully savour and enjoy life, as it exists in the present moment. It’s also a fantastic tool to reconnect with yourself and by that very fact, make better decisions for yourself.
I hope you are fully mindful of this wonderful opportunity!
Eva Lyne Jalbert is passionate about life, and especially about yoga, nutrition, and the power of the human spirit. Above all else, she advocates for inner peace and self-sufficiency in the face of happiness. Her motto is “We shape our own life.” She studies nutrition at Université de Montréal and is the co-founder of U-love Enterprises.
