Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is a form of conscious awareness that goes beyond the experience of eating, including the well-being of the body, mind, and soul. This means that the choices we make about what to eat (and how much) have physical, mental, and emotional consequences. There are also social and environmental implications of eating that fall under the decision-making aspect of mindful eating.
In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, “When practiced to its fullest, mindful eating turns a simple meal into a spiritual experience, giving us a deep appreciation of all that went into the meal’s creation as well as a deep understanding of the relationship between the food on our table, our health, and our planet’s health.”
If you reduce the amount of sugar and processed foods you eat, you will find a calmer and more balanced mental and emotional state. Sugar, in particular, can cause mood swings, highs, and lows.
Processed food as we know it was only invented in 1890, slowly entering the mainstream to gain widespread popularity by the 1950s. Before that people ate food from the earth, farming their vegetables (and animals) to cook their food. This meant that bread was created by grinding down roots and grains by hand, before mixing the crushed plants with water and baking it into bread. The hard work that went into the creation of every meal meant that food was a luxury and not an emotional distraction. There were no chemicals in the food, and even the ancient sugar was made without any added chemicals.
In modern times, food has become cheaper and more readily available. “Convenience foods” such as vending machines, pre-cooked meals or street food can be found on nearly every corner, many of which are nutritionally unhealthy. The widespread social acceptance of heavily processed foods has led to health issues such as the obesity pandemic and depression. These days, the fast pace of the digital age has left millions of people reliant on “convenience foods”, many of whom are not aware of the impact it causes to health, let alone the environment. Even if people are aware that their food choices harm their health (and the health of the planet) it can be hard to make a change.
However, there’s an easy and quick way to combine ancient nutrition with a busy schedule (and save money too). The solution is simple and the major mental shift is in learning to plan so that you are prepared for when hunger strikes. To maximize your productivity, spend as little time as possible cooking, yet don’t go for processed foods. This means that you must cook.
The secret is to buy (or borrow) the biggest pot you can find so that you can cook enough for two whole weeks. You will need to invest in some reusable storage containers so that you can freeze it into portions for your pre-cooked wholesome meals. It may seem excessive at first, but it is an extremely economical and time-saving method. Remember that you don’t have to eat it the same way every day, you can choose to add different spices and starches on different days for variety. Using this method, you will always know what to pack for work and will never make an unhealthy decision based on hunger again.
Once you begin to cut out sugars and highly processed foods, you will notice an improvement in clarity of mind and emotional balance. After you have mastered the art of nutritional eating and conscious healthful choices, you can begin to focus on listening to your body’s natural hunger cues. Intuitive eating ignores social concepts of “meal times” and concentrates instead on primal needs. By waiting until you are truly hungry, you will be able to savor your meals more. Be sure to always eat slowly in a seated position and to focus fully on the flavor, texture, and energy within the food. Practice observing emotional hunger versus physical hunger and experiment with alternative ways to feed your soul. In time, you will master the art of mindful eating and reap the rewards as a result.
