How to Start Eating Mindfully

“Whenever we eat or drink, we can engage all our senses in the eating and drinking experience. Eating and drinking like this, we not only feed our bodies and safeguard our physical health but also nurture our feelings, our mind, and our consciousness.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Imagine this: you are about to eat your favorite dish – pasta in spinach sauce for me – and you take the first bite. Now try doing this – after the first bite, place the fork back down and begin to savor the different flavors in the pasta. Chew slowly, don’t talk and tune in to the flavor of the spinach, for example, the aroma of the different herbs present in your pasta.

Repeat this for the course of the meal and you will experience a deeper connection with your body and the food you eat. This practice is known as ‘Mindful Eating,’ a concept with its roots in Buddhist teachings, helps us become conscious of what you consume and when to consume and not just eating mindlessly to beat stress.