Mindful Eating to Create a Healthy Relationship with Food

Food fuels us and keeps us vibrant. It can bring friends and family together and help us celebrate special occasions. However, an unhealthy relationship with food can consume our thoughts, control our lives, and leave us frustrated and confused. This often leads to poor-quality food choices that make us feel lousy and for which we may beat ourselves up.

There’s got to be a better way!

Practicing mindfulness when you eat is the key to achieving the body and lifestyle you desire. Paying attention to what you eat and how certain foods make you feel is the practice of Mind-Body Nutrition.

No matter your goal, enjoying a healthy relationship with food is more than just what you put in your mouth. It’s also about how you eat.

Why Mindfulness Matters

Do you quickly eat meals without even taking note of what you ate? Have you used food to placate an uncomfortable feeling—fear, loneliness, or any other emotion?

Eating slowly, mindfully, and with pleasure helps you heal your relationship with food.

Try this: For one day, treat every bite of food you put in your mouth with reverence as if it were a treasured gift from a loved one. What would that feel like? How would your body respond?

What are You Really Craving?

Start maintaining your relationship with food the way you do with friends. Let go of toxic triggers and nutrient-poor foods that no longer serve you, and replace them with energizing, nutrient-dense foods. Notice how you feel after each meal. Do you feel sluggish and guilty or energized and nourished? Experiment with different foods and learn what works for you and when.

Action Items:

1. Become a slow, relaxed eater and find pleasure in your food.
2. Pay attention to the messages in your cravings.
3. Let go of the guilt and stress. Don’t judge your food—or yourself.
4. Ask yourself: “How am I getting in my own way?” “How can I embrace and accept where I am”?
5. Remember: We are ALL emotional eaters!

The most important thing you can do is notice how you feel in your body. Embrace where you are right now and pay attention to what you eat and how certain foods make you feel. Celebrate every step, no matter how small. And remember, we ALL slip up and setbacks are good—they can lead to valuable “Aha!” moments. Never shame yourself for overindulging. Negative self-talk only leads to more unhealthy choices.

This is a compassionate invitation to look at food in a different light. Because food is not the problem—it’s the solution. Embracing food challenges leads to personal growth and transformation. By moving beyond your challenges, you can break free from dieting and experience true freedom once and for all!

To your good health,
Karen

Karen Malkin is board-certified as a Health, Nutrition and Eating Psychology Counselor. Visit her website at http://www.karenmalkin.com.