Being present with your food

This week, I’ve been reading “The Healing Secrets of Food” by Deborah Kesten. In the book, she talks a lot about the mind-body connection and how being mindful of consuming not only makes your eating more pleasant but also makes it a more nourishing experience.

In the chapter about mindfulness, she notes several studies that showed how being mindful improved digestion and cardiovascular health. In one study, meditation before eating increased salivary minerals. Another showed that relaxed people were better able to digest fatty foods, lowering the likelihood of clogging vessels with fats and therefore lowering the risk of heart attack.

How do you get mindful when eating? It’s simple, but not easy.

First – you need to have the intention of becoming mindful. This means that you focus your attention on your meal and your eating.

Second – you need to commit to mindfulness. If you find your mind wandering, gently let your thoughts go and come back to the task at hand – eating your meal.

Third – you need to focus your attention solely on your food. Notice how it looks on the plate. Enjoy the smell of it. Create the intention of taking some food on your fork and lifting it before you actually act. Note that you are lifting food to your mouth when you do. Then when you take the bite, make sure you savor all the flavors, chew well and enjoy the texture before you decide to swallow. Be with the food the entire time that you’re enjoying it.