Is food your friend or your enemy? Food is necessary for life. Some food edifies and nourishes the body, while other foods only supply calories. Calories taken in excess may provide a mental and emotional boost, but they also become stored as fat in your body. There are no good or bad foods; there is only a good or bad BALANCE of food. For good "health," consider what each food contributes to you and your life. Each time you make a choice to eat, ask yourself, "What is the purpose of this food?"
Becoming mindful and purposeful with your eating is the BEST nutrition plan anyone can adopt. This way of eating is not for the faint of heart, but its rewards are plentiful. It takes consistency, commitment, and self-discovery. For many, this is the challenge of mindful eating, or eating with a purpose. In order to use it successfully, you must first decide what your purpose is.
Too many people trudge through life merely existing, coping, or surviving to the next day, just to do it all over again. Is it then any wonder that people USE food to numb the discomfort, to cope with the hopelessness they feel, or to mask dissatisfaction with their life situation? While food is necessary for life, it holds much more than that just life-giving nourishment. It serves a purpose in your life.
The day revolves around meal times. Meal times provide structured breaks in an otherwise static day, a mental, as well as physical break from routine activity. In pioneer days and before, breaking bread together was a sacred time. A time where family and friends would gather together and socialize, at the same time they fueled their body with nutrition.
They did not worry about calories, or if the food was natural or processed, they were simply thankful to have food to consume and to be with those who had gathered around. Two major factors influencing life satisfaction have been show as being grateful and having positive social interactions. Pioneers had a high degree of life satisfaction, part of that seemingly fostered by their daily rituals of mealtime.
During meals, people let go of everything else they were doing and gave themselves to this welcomed break in their busy day. While taking in a meal, no work was done, no distractions were allowed, and a literal break in routine was achieved. This consistent break served, not only to refuel the body with food, but also to clear the mind and renew the spirit. The casual interactions allowed for creative thought and relieved you of the burdens of the day. This simple act created balance and harmony in the day of our ancestors.
While this seems so far from what is possible today, I recreate this image as way to look back on a simpler time, where obesity was not an issue. People were less concerned with being fat, because their lifestyle did not make this a hazard or issue for concern. We can learn much from this example. While a great deal of time is spent educating people on what foods to eat and not eat, how to eat less, and how to monitor the diet, very little time is spent helping people connect with how and why they eat in the first place. Could this be at the heart of obesity?
Until people make the connection between why they eat and the results of their eating, they will continue to struggle, going around and around the same mountain. It is fine to learn about proper nutrition and better eating habits, but until someone becomes mindful of the reasons behind why they are eating, it does little more that serve as a guild producer. When you get the urge or opportunity to eat, first ask yourself:
Am I physically hungry?
Do I feel bored, frustrated, uncomfortable, or upset and would like to use food as a distraction and mood booster?
Even though it is, or is not, the set mealtime, do I require food?
What am I hungry for?
What foods would fuel my body best?
How much food would I need to consume to feel 75-80% full?
What kind of environment am I choosing to eat in?
Am I taking a full-break from other activity to savor my nourishment?
Am I incorporating gratitude and socialization into my meal?
Has my eating experience been balanced in physical and mental nutrition?
Knowing your body, and honoring its signals, is at the heart of mindful eating. Before you eat, think of the acronym I.C.U.:
Identify what is going on in your circumstances. (ask the above questions)
Create the appropriate circumstance for a beneficial eating episode.
Undertake eating mindfully and purposefully.
It is not about depriving yourself of food or foods you enjoy, it is about making purposeful choices for the right reasons. Being intentional feels good and it allows your body to run as it was designed with little effort on your part. Adopt the mindfulness diet this year and see how your waistline looks next year...
"Wellness Matters" Article Series by Lisa Schilling RN, CPT
Speaker, Writer, Wellness Coach & Consultant
Lisa Schilling is the author of "The Get REAL Guide to Health and Fitness-FIVE STEPS to Create Your Own Personal Wellness Plan" She juggles life as a doting wife and the mother of three boys, who keep her feet firmly planted on the ground! Lisa is a Registered Nurse, author and recovering pageant queen, who spreads hope with her Get REAL approach to wellness. She empowers women, caregivers and groups to unleash their fullest potential by helping them to see their true beauty and discover their REAL value. She feels passionate about spreading this message of hope and acceptance to help others be PROactive about their health and not simply REactive. Lisa uses her enthusiasm to inspire people to value and appreciate who they are. She helps people build a bridge from where they are, to where they want to be.
As an outspoken advocate for wellness and prevention, her motto is: "See one, do one, teach one!" Visit Lisa's website http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com to claim your FREE Bonus Gifts!
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