Eating is More Than Just Food!

I'm so excited about this blog post. Something I have really focused on this week is mindful eating. Especially while being on my own and cooking for one I often find myself sitting in front of the computer slamming food, piling unmonitored amounts into my mouth as I drive from one commitment to another,or eating while standing in the kitchen talking to room mates not plating my meals or observing what I'm doing. I challenge you to a week of mindful eating. I think you will really appreciate what it does to your grocery bill, hunger, and overall meal satisfaction.

"Diata" is Greek for Diet. "Diata" means: a way and manner of living. Traditional cultures display a way of living and eating that is in harmony with nature and biological function,  missing in today's modern culture. Diet shouldn't have a negative connotation. A diet should be your lifestyle of concious eating.

Food is about pleasure, and community, and family and spirituality, about our relationship to the natural world and about expressing our identity. Eating has been as much about culture as it has been about biology throughout history. Our whole self interacts with food and eating. Nutrition is not just about the food that you put in your mouth. That is the secondary food. Primary food is about relationships, career, education, home environment and so much more.

BECOMING AWARE OF MINDLESS EATING: 1,521 person-poll:

• 91% typically watch TV when eating meals at home
• 62% are sometimes or often too busy to sit down and eat
• 35% eat lunch at their desk while working
• 26% eat when driving

I relate to almost all of these mindless eating habits on a daily basis.

BEING MINDFUL:

Mindufulness is the act of being aware and paying attention to the current moment. It enables a person to tune in to how they feel physically and emotionally at any moment, and that information can guide their response to a given situation.

Have you heard that it takes 20 minutes for your stomache to communicate to your brain that its full? Being mindful and eating at a slower pace will allow you to stay in tune with how you feel physically while eating.

EATING TIPS:

When: Small frequent meals. 3 meals 2 snacks. Approximatley every 3-4 hours. This will keep you eating slowly because when you forget to eat or don't eat regularly you end up gorging your food. Eating frequently is a form of mindful eating.









How: Relax and enjoy your food. Eat mindfully, peacefully, and with friends and family! Studies show that eating a variety of colors during meals leaves you feeling more satisfied. Also, eating with friends slows you down because your more focused on the conversation than ending meal time and getting to the next commitment.  

Chew your food slow. Don't be distracted by a to-do list. Sit down at a table and eat with food carefully portioned on a plate so you know what your consuming and how much.