Healthy Habits:
Mindful Eating
If you can develop a habit of wearing seatbelt, you can you develop a habit of mindful eating!
After repetition, seeing the cue (getting in the car) takes away the need to actually think about what you’re doing (putting on your seatbelt). Your new habit becomes second nature, and now you feel weird if you don’t do it! Wouldn’t you feel a little uncomfortable driving around in your car without a seatbelt?
OK I get it, but how do I develop a habit of mindful eating?
There are 7 attitudes associated with developing the habit of mindfulness, or intuitive eating. If you practice one or more of these attitudes you may naturally develop a new healthy habit!
7 Attitudes that lead to intuitive eating
NON-JUDGING
“I’m withholding judgement,” rather than “I’m really not going to like this!”
What if you let judgement go, and experienced food without deciding ahead of time what it will be like?
PATIENCE
“This is what I’m doing now, and everything else is irrelevant at this moment,” rather than “This is an activity I need to get through so I can move on to the next.”
Slow down your meal dramatically for the full experience, and let it unfold rather than racing through it.
BEGINNERS MIND
“I’m going to look at this as though I’ve never seen it before,” rather than “I’ve been through this a million times. No surprises here!”
Approach your food just the way a baby would. Taking one taste, taking one look, smelling it, feeling the food in your mouth.
TRUST YOURSELF
“My opinion is what it is,” rather than “If other people like this I should like it too.”
With full awareness of our experience and acceptance of it as true for us, we develop more SELF trust and can listen to internal signals, like hunger and fullness.
NON-STRIVING
“I’m going to listen to my body,” rather than “I need to be successful at this diet, or I’m not as good as others who have succeeded.”
Non-striving is the opposite of a diet-minded culture, which is all about striving for weight loss. Because no specific outcomes are measured, you are allowed to be in the moment and appreciate the experience.
ACCEPTANCE
Developing a willingness to notice what happens and accept it is at the core of the mindfulness process. The difference between full presence and distractions: It is what it is.