One of the reasons I became interested in meditation was because I wanted to change my eating. Three years ago, I successfully lost 50 pounds using bars and shakes. It was a program that was easy for me to follow and helped me form good habits around eating and exercise. I kept the weight I lost off for a year. But then, I had a stressful time in my business and all my good habits went out the window. When I was tired, or anxious nothing sounded better to me than eating a bunch of carbs. By the time things in my business had gotten better, I had gained back all the weight.
During this stressful time, I was diagnosed with ADHD. This diagnosis came as no surprise to me or anyone who knew me well. As I started researching how to best manage symptoms now that my suspicion was confirmed, I came across research that connected ADHD and weight gain. There was actually a good reason why I sought out carbs: ADHD brains are low in dopamine. Eating carbs increases the dopamine in my brain and makes me feel better. As I did more research I stumbled on the recommendation to manage ADHD with mindfulness. This is was the start of my practice.
Struggling to eat healthy isn’t just something that people with ADHD face, it’s all of us. As busy people, we want to accomplish as much as possible, as quickly as possible. And if you are like me, that busy-ness includes eating on the go, in a rush, without taking time to really enjoy my food. We all know that the better we eat, the better we feel, and the better able we are to meet our goals. But, it’s oh-so-easy to eat food that comforts us when we are tired, bored or sad rather than eating food that really nurishes us. We get so focused on what we want or need to accomplish, that self-care, like eating well becomes a necessary evil that we just let slide.
Why is it so easy to do? Well, there aren’t immediate consequences for not taking time to go grocery shopping or chew our food 1oo times before we swallow. It’s not until we are 25, 50, maybe even 100 pounds or more over weight that we even notice. Maybe not even then — if we are really stubborn, it might take a health scare — like a heart attack or cancer to make us notice how and what we eat.
So, here’s the deal: we (you and I) cannot reach our full potential if we are out of shape and overweight. This isn’t about getting into our skinny jeans or trying to impress someone. This isn’t about body shaming or trying to meet some unrealistic physical ideal. In fact, you might be thin and eating junk food like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t think it affects you? Let me point you to Supersize Me, a little documentary that followed a thin, healthy man while he ate nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days.
The question is this: can I accomplish what I want with the way I am eating now? For me, the answer is no. Can you? I believe this is about being disciplined enough to be who I really am. I am an athlete, and so are you. Life is a full contact sport. Just like soccer, football or like any other sport, it requires discipline, training, energy, and stamina. Doing well in business, giving to others, being a great mom or dad, participating in our community — all of that involves doing our best thinking and being fully engaged. All of it requires we be healthy.
I’ve been off the rails with my eating for a while now, and it’s time to get back on track. The Center for Mindful Eating has set January 28th as Mindful Eating Day. So, I’ve decided to try something out — I’m going to eat at least one thing a day ( a meal, snack, even something small like a piece of cheese) in a mindful way for the next 30 days. What will that mean? I am going to do my best to pay full attention to what I am eating — how it smells, how it feels in my hand, what it tastes like. I’m going to give it my full attention — without judgement. I am going to let go of any negative chit-chat about what or how much I eat. I’m going to notice when I’m full. Here’s the outline I’m using for my practice.
Mindful eating once a day for 30 days. Care to join me? Eating mindfully is simple, but it’s not easy. Hard things are easier when we do them together. So if you want to be my part of my Mindful Eating Posse, leave a comment here or on Facebook . Upload pictures and tell me what you’re eating.
Go Be Awesome.
Chanel Carlascio is a social entrepreneur who’s big dream is to get on Shark Tank and land a deal with Barbara. Chanel is obsessed with flow psychology, peak performance, and the part that mindfulness plays in people reaching their full potential. She is fluent in American Sign Language and in another life was a sign language interpreter and Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at Portland State University. In addition to HUSH, Chanel provides disability services and consulting for individuals in business, government and community settings in the US and Canada as owner of Strada Communication, Inc. and serves as Chair of the Portland Business Leadership Network. Chanel lives in NW Portland with her very spoiled Standard Poodle Henry.
